Day of the Dead Grave Decoration
About this photograph
- Date created
- October 31, 2006
- License
- This photograph copyright ©2006. Terms of use
Related media
Learn more
- Search LEARN NC for Cempasúchil, Day of the Dead, Dia De Los Muertos, and marigolds.
In the classroom
- See our collection of articles on visual literacy for ideas on using photographs meaningfully in the classroom.
During the period of October 31 through November 2, Mexican families honor their dead during the Day of the Dead celebrations. During this time families will visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and then clean and decorate their graves.
This grave is decorated with a pink cross, skeleton, and marigolds. Marigolds are a traditional ofrendas, or offering, and are typically placed on or near the grave. Often called The Flower of the Dead, Marigolds, or cempasúchil, from cempaxochitl from Nahuatl for “twenty flowers”, are believed to attract the souls of the dead.
