Day of the Dead

noun

: a celebratory holiday observed primarily in Mexico and Central America on November 1 and 2 to remember and honor deceased family and friends and to recognize death as a natural part of life

Note: Day of the Dead observances typically involve setting up often elaborate altars and decorating the graves of loved ones.

… the Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout Mexico and is observed in Hispanic communities as far north as the United States and Canada …

—Guy Garcia

The Day of the Dead … celebrates, not grief, but a worldly mindfulness of death.

—George H. Rosen

… I talked to a grandmother building a Day of the Dead … altar with offerings for her family's dearly departed that included candles, food, flowers, and festive decorations.

—Mathew Sandoval

Native to Mexico, the … marigold is recognized as the ceremonial Day of the Dead flower, used to guide the spirits of our loved ones back home.

—Luisa Navarro

called also Día de los Muertos

Examples of Day of the Dead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Snorkel in subterranean rivers, swim with dolphins (for an extra fee, with reservations), duck at the sound of macaws screeching overhead, wander through a Day of the Dead display, and swing in a hammock beside a turquoise cove. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Apr. 2026

Many of the pictures were captured on the Day of the Dead, at the annual feast of the cult of Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte (Our Lady of Holy Death), in the Tepito neighborhood of Mexico City. —Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

translation of Spanish Día de los Muertos

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above