Mexico’s Day of the Dead: A night of candles, flowers and returning souls

Families in Arocutin, Mexico, kept an all-night vigil during the Day of the Dead, covering graves with marigolds, candles, and offerings of tequila and food.

The centuries-old tradition, rooted in Indigenous Purepecha culture, honors the belief that souls return to visit their loved ones.

The Day of the Dead dates back to Mexico’s pre-Hispanic civilizations and blends Indigenous beliefs about the afterlife with Catholic observances introduced during Spanish colonization.