NPR

Día De Los Muertos Comes To Life Across The Mexican Diaspora

As more people celebrate the holiday in Mexico and the U.S., the tradition has evolved, but its spirit remains the same.
Adolfo Arguello places a flower on the Day of the Dead altar he made in his home to commemorate his mother-in-law, who died when his wife was 2-months old.

Decorative sugar skulls line the the front of the colorful, four-tiered altar. Cempasúchiles in bloom are scattered between painted skeletons, unlit candles and plates of food resting on pink papel picado, an intricately designed tissue paper.

Three banners hang above the display. In the center, La Catrina, the female skeletal figure that has become an icon for the occasion, is painted with a declaration: Día De Muertos. Day of the Dead.

Adolfo Arguello came to the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C., to he was missing for his altar at home. It's the first one he and his wife, who moved to D.C. about a year ago, will have in their home – and the first Day of the Dead holiday for their 7-month-old daughter, Maia.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR5 min read
A Woman With Failing Kidneys Receives Genetically Modified Pig Organs
Surgeons transplanted a kidney and thymus gland from a gene-edited pig into a 54-year-old woman in an attempt to extend her life. It's the latest experimental use of animal organs in humans.
NPR4 min read
130 Million Americans Routinely Breathe Unhealthy Air, Report Finds
Climate change is making it harder to meet clean air goals, says the 25th annual State of the Air report from the American Lung Association.
NPR3 min readCrime & Violence
South Koreans Sue Government Over Climate Change, Saying Policy Violates Human Rights
Plaintiffs including 17-month-old boy nicknamed Woodpecker bring landmark climate litigation in South Korea, the first in Asia to get a public hearing.

Related