Day of the Dead: The History of a Celebration

A stunning bilingual, illustrated, and photographic account of a celebrated Mexican tradition

The lively Mexican holiday of Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) brings together sorrow and laughter, drawing from indigenous traditions of celebrating ones ancestors and loved ones who have been lost. Its a day of serenity, family, and exuberant creativity, where sugar and skulls can exist side by side. In this bilingual book, beloved Mexican art and culture magazine Artes de México creates a stunning written, illustrated, and photographic account that takes readers through the traditions origins, its history and evolution, and the many ways it is celebrated today.

Alongside the visually stunning displays of altars, cemeteries, costumes, and festivities, a group of renowned Mexican writers has contributed essays that cover topics including the holidays rural and urban distinctions, occult ancestry, and Indigenous rituals. Their words are imbued with spectacular personal significanceand impressive academic rigoras they recount local legends, family traditions, and tales of life, death, and wandering souls. See more