Wednesday is Day of the Dead, or Día de Los Muertos, an ancient holiday celebrated in Mexico for centuries that celebrates death as a part of the cycle of life, rather than something to be feared.
Observed every Nov. 2, the holiday gives the living a day to honor and reconnect with deceased loved ones. Families and friends gather to pray and remember those who have passed and help support their spiritual journey.
Homes and cemeteries are adorned with colorful ofrendas, or altars, decorated with orange Mexican marigolds, burning candles and sugar skulls, which have become an iconic symbol of the holiday. Google joined the celebration with a Doodle mimicking the vibrant style of the skulls — artwork that’s crafted from real sugar.
Google shows one of sugar skulls in the Doodle’s artwork — created by Doodler Lydia Nichols — being crafted with real sugar.
The holiday is rich with seemingly everyday items that hold deep symbolism for those preparing to honor deceased loved ones. The dog is believed to guide spirits to their final resting place in the afterlife, while candles guide them back to visit the land of the living.
Monarch butterflies, which migrate to Mexico every fall, are believed to be personifications of the spirits of ancestors returning to visit. Marigold petals make a path for departed loved ones to follow home.
But no symbol of the holiday is as instantly recognizable perhaps as the sugar skull. Usually made of sugar or chocolate, the brightly colored skulls are a popular gift to friends and colleagues during the holiday. The skulls (calaveras) are decorated with the names of the living as a means for reserving their spot in the underworld.
El Dia de los Muertos traces its roots to the Aztec empire, but the holiday has spread around the world, being absorbed by a variety of cultures wishing to honor their dead in a joyous rather than sorrowful manner.