Honoring the Departed: All Souls Day and Día de los Muertos Explained

What Is Día de los Muertos?

As we approach the liturgical holiday of All Souls Day, you may hear about Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, and wonder what this holiday is.

With origins in México and associated with the Catholic feasts of All Saints and All Souls Day, Día de los Muertos is a celebration of life observed on November 1 and 2, during the same liturgical timeframe. This multi-day holiday honors those who have passed on, and is one of the most significant cultural events of the year in parts of Latin America and the southwestern United States.

During this time, we pray for the souls of deceased loved ones. Then, families and friends gather at cemeteries or make offerings at home to celebrate, honor and remember the lives of those who have passed on.

Though both the All Souls Day and Día de los Muertos holidays remember the dead, the ways of remembering diverge. All Souls Day, for example, remembers “all the faithful departed,” whereas Día de los Muertos welcomes the return of all the departed for an annual visit that reunites the dead and the living.

Día de los Muertos Symbols and Traditions

Día de los Muertos is filled with beautiful celebrations and symbols of reflection.

Here are a few of the most common symbols as well as their meanings:

Candles

Candles are a symbol of light and love, and are used to decorate altars to help guide spirits back to the living world.

Crucifixes, Rosaries and Our Lady of Guadalupe

Catholic crucifixes, rosaries and Our Lady of Guadalupe also frequently adorn altars, as symbols of God's love and mercy.

Cempasúchil

Marigold flowers are native to México, and are known as the “flower of the dead.” They are often used to decorate altars to help guide spirits of loved ones back home.

Papel Picado

A fragile, handmade piece of tissue paper, whose holes are believed to allow a way for souls to travel through to the living world.

Photographs

Photos of loved ones who have passed on, who you’d like to celebrate and remember.

The Meaning Behind the Día de los Muertos Altar

Many Día de los Muertos altars are created in two or three tiers.

Two-tier altar

A two-tier altar frequently represents heaven and earth.

Three-tier altar

A three-tiered altar often represents heaven, earth and death. Alternatively, three-tiered altars can also represent the Trinity.

All Souls Day and Día de los Muertos Prayers

If you have lost someone you love and would like to pray for them on the Feast of All Souls or Día de los Muertos, we have included a prayer below.

Merciful Father,

On this day, we are called to remember those who have died,

particularly those who have died in the past year,

and pray for their joyful reunion with you, their loving creator.

As your Son taught us to call the stranger

neighbor, our fallen are many—

names we will never know,

voices we have never heard,

in lands we may never visit,

yet brothers and sisters all.

And so we pray.

For victims of war, caught in the crossfires of

conflicts we could not quell,

for soldiers and civilians,

adults and children, we pray …

grant eternal rest, O Lord.

For those migrants who have died seeking a

haven where they hoped to find safety

and opportunity for themselves and for their families, we pray …

grant eternal rest, O Lord.

For victims of hunger, denied their share in the

bounty you have placed before us, we pray …

grant eternal rest, O Lord.

For victims of AIDS, Malaria, Ebola, and other infectious diseases,

who died before adequate care could reach them, we pray …

grant eternal rest, O Lord.

For those refugees seeking asylum from war,

who died in a land that was not their home, we pray …

grant eternal rest, O Lord.

For victims of emergencies and calamities everywhere,

who died amid chaos and confusion, we pray …

grant eternal rest, O Lord.

Lord, as you command, we reach out to the fallen.

We call on you on behalf of those we could not reach this year.

You raised your Son from the dead

that all may share in his joyful resurrection.

In Jesus' name, we pray …

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,

et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Requiescant in pace.

Amen

Or, if it brings you comfort, you can light a virtual votive for a departed loved one here.