Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday celebrated on Nov 1 and 2 throughout central and southern Mexican regions.

Many families visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried to place food and flowers on their graves. Festivities include dancing, dressing up in colorful costumes and makeup and preparation of many traditional foods.

Family and friends celebrate this holiday to pray and remember loved ones who have died and to support their spiritual journey. Most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas (altars), which often include marigolds. In modern Mexico the marigold is sometimes called Flor de Muerto (Flower of the Dead) and are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings.

Junior Emiliano Warren lived in Mexico for five years before coming to the United States. Although originally Argentinian, Warren respects the Mexican holiday and celebrates it with his family every year.

“We have a very deep love for Mexico and what it gave to us when we were there,” Warren said. “We are an Argentinian family looking in on Mexican culture and appreciating it.”

Warren and his family celebrate Dia de los Muertos in an different way.

“We don’t cook much food, and we don’t visit a cemetery. It’s more like celebrating it in spirit,” Warren said. “We don’t have any family members who are buried in mexico, so we didn’t really have a reason to celebrate the holiday. Because we have friends who had people buried, we went along with them and celebrated with them.”

Photos by Emilia Fuentes