With Flowers, Altars and Candles, Mexicans Are Honoring Deceased Relatives on the Day of the Dead

Martínez and others in southern Mexico's Oaxaca state wait with anticipation for Day of the Dead celebrations every Nov. 1, when families place homemade altars to honor their dearly departed and spend the night at the cemetery, lighting candles in the hope of illuminating their paths.

“For us, that arch is a portal so that they can reach our house,” she said. “We also create a path of flowers to the door as a welcoming sign.” On this date, Oaxacans don’t honor death but rather their ancestors, said the local secretary of culture, Victor Cata. “It’s a celebration of those with whom we shared a time and a roof, who were flesh and blood like us.”

María Martínez, 58, paid a visit to her late husband by noon. “I do feel that they are returning today but I also think they are with us daily, not just on this date,” she said.

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