Day of the Dead: Tradition, Food and How to Celebrate in Spain

The Day of the Dead (1-2 November) is one of Mexico's most beautiful traditions, recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO since 2008. Far from being a sad date, it's a colourful celebration of life, remembrance and love for those who are no longer with us.

What the Day of the Dead Is

It isn't "Mexican Halloween". It's a celebration of life that honours the departed, blending pre-Hispanic traditions with Spanish Catholicism. While Halloween has its origin in the Celtic tradition of fearing death, the Mexican Day of the Dead embraces death as a natural part of life.

The belief is that during these days, the dead are granted permission to visit their families in the world of the living. On 1 November (All Saints' Day) the souls of departed children arrive, and on 2 November (All Souls' Day) the adults return.

Origin: the Aztecs held rituals dedicated to Mictecacíhuatl, the "Lady of Death", during the ninth month of the Aztec calendar (equivalent to August). With Spanish colonisation, the celebration merged with the Catholic festivities of All Saints and All Souls, moving to November.

The Altar of the Dead (Ofrenda)

The ofrenda is the centre of the celebration. It's an altar built at home with multiple levels (usually 2, 3 or 7) representing the connection between the world of the living and the dead.

Traditional Elements

• A photo of the departed: the centre of the altar. Without a photo, there's no ofrenda.
• Cempasúchil flowers (marigolds): their intense orange colour and aroma guide the dead back home. They're placed from the entrance to the altar forming a path.
• Candles: they light the way back. One candle for each remembered soul.
• Pan de muerto: a special sweet bread shaped with crossed bones and a little ball representing a skull. It's compulsory.
• Sugar skulls: skulls decorated with the name of the departed. They're edible art.
• Papel picado: coloured paper cut with openwork designs representing the wind and the fragility of life.
• Copal and incense: the smoke purifies and guides the souls.
• Water and salt: so the departed can quench their thirst after the long journey.
• The departed's favourite food and drink: tamales, mole, tequila, beer, sweets — whatever they most enjoyed in life. It's the most personal and moving part of the ofrenda.
• Personal objects: clothes, toys (if a child), tools, books — things that identified the departed.

Day of the Dead Food

The food is central to the celebration. Each region has its specific dishes:

Pan de Muerto

It's a brioche-style bread flavoured with orange and anise, dusted with sugar. The crossed strips represent bones and the central ball a skull. It's eaten with hot chocolate and is one of the most delicious sweet breads in Mexico.

Make it in the UK: the ingredients are basic (flour, sugar, eggs, butter, orange, anise) and are in any supermarket. It's a brioche-style bread that's relatively easy to make if you have basic experience with doughs.

Mole

Mole is the celebration dish par excellence. On the Day of the Dead it's made especially to share with family and friends, and a portion is placed on the ofrenda for the departed.

Tamales

Tamales appear in every Mexican celebration, and the Day of the Dead is no exception. They're placed on the ofrenda and shared with the family. In many regions, special tamales are made for the occasion.

Calabaza en Tacha

Squash candied in piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar) syrup with cinnamon. It's an autumnal dessert directly associated with this date. Piloncillo is found in Latin shops as a cone of unrefined brown sugar.

Atole and Champurrado

Hot corn drinks. Atole is the basic version (corn, cinnamon, sugar) and champurrado has chocolate. They're drunk alongside the tamales, especially in the morning.

How to Celebrate the Day of the Dead in the UK

Public Events

Each year, the main British cities organise celebrations:

• London: the Mexican Embassy organises cultural events. In various neighbourhoods, several Mexican restaurants hold special parties with community ofrendas.
• Manchester and Bristol: cultural centres often have exhibitions. Mexican restaurants celebrate with special menus.
• Other cities: the Mexican community organises gatherings at cultural associations and restaurants.

Tip: search for "Day of the Dead + your city" on social media weeks beforehand. The Mexican associations in the UK publish their events.

Celebrating at Home

You can make your own ofrenda, even in a small flat:

1. Choose a table or shelf: cover it with a colourful cloth.
2. Place photos: of family or friends who are no longer with you.
3. Flowers: cempasúchil (marigolds) if you can find them, or orange carnations.
4. Candles: one for each person remembered.
5. Pan de muerto: make it or buy it from a Mexican bakery if there's one in your city.
6. Favourite food: put out the dish or drink your loved one most enjoyed.
7. Papel picado: make it yourself by cutting coloured tissue paper with scissors, or buy it online (Amazon, £5-8).

Where to Buy What You Need

• Latin shops: pan de muerto (if they have a bakery), artificial cempasúchil, sugar skulls, papel picado.
• Amazon: Day of the Dead decorations (papel picado, decorative skulls, tablecloths).
• Florists: marigolds or orange flowers as an alternative.

The Deeper Meaning

The Day of the Dead is neither morbid nor sad. It's the Mexican way of saying: "We haven't forgotten you. You're still part of our family." It's an act of love, memory and community. For Mexicans in the UK, celebrating it keeps alive a fundamental part of their cultural identity, and sharing it with British friends is a beautiful way of building bridges between cultures.

If you want to celebrate with authentic food, see our recipes for the Day of the Dead: mole poblano, tamales and rice pudding are essential.

Where to Celebrate the Day of the Dead in the UK

In our experience, the celebration of the Day of the Dead in the UK has grown enormously in recent years. What began as intimate gatherings of the Mexican community has become cultural events open to all. Here are the best options by city:

London

The capital hosts the largest celebrations. Cultural venues organise monumental altars, sugar-skull workshops and Mexican music concerts. In some neighbourhoods, several Mexican restaurants set up their own altars and offer special menus with pan de muerto and hot chocolate (themed menu from £18-25). The Mexican Embassy usually organises a free public event in late October.

Manchester

Galleries and museums have hosted exhibitions about the Day of the Dead. The Mexican community organises a procession with painted skulls and mariachi music. Several bars and restaurants set up altars and offer mezcal tastings with a Day of the Dead theme.

Bristol and other cities

Bristol has begun to celebrate the Day of the Dead with events organised by the local Mexican association. In smaller cities, the merging with All Saints' Day (1 November) creates a unique atmosphere where both traditions coexist.

Setting Up Your Own Ofrenda at Home: Step-by-Step Guide

You don't need to be Mexican to set up an ofrenda. In our experience, many people adopt this tradition to remember their loved ones in a more colourful and celebratory way than the classic bunch of flowers. Here's how:

Essential elements (and where to find them in the UK)

• Photos of the departed: the centre of the ofrenda. Framed or simply printed.
• Candles: ordinary white candles (a pack of 6 for ~£2) or candles in a glass from a Latin shop (~£1 each). One candle for each departed person you remember.
• Cempasúchil flowers: the traditional orange flower. Hard to find in the UK, but you can substitute orange carnations or marigolds (£1-2/bunch at florists). Latin shops sometimes sell artificial cempasúchil in October (£3-5).
• Pan de muerto: some Mexican bakeries in London and Manchester make it to order (£4-6 a piece). If not, you can bake it at home: it's a sweet bread flavoured with orange blossom and anise.
• Papel picado: coloured paper cut with skull designs. In Latin shops (£2-3/pack) or on Amazon. You can also make it yourself with tissue paper and scissors — there are excellent tutorials on YouTube.
• The departed's favourite food and drink: this is the lovely thing about the tradition: you put out the food the person you remember liked. It can be anything, it doesn't have to be Mexican.
• Salt, water and copal/incense: the salt purifies, the water quenches the departed's thirst after their long journey, and the incense (any incense works) guides the souls.

The Day of the Dead and All Saints' Day: Transatlantic Siblings

It's fascinating how different cultures celebrate the same date with complementary approaches. On 1 November, some visit cemeteries, bring flowers (usually chrysanthemums) and remember with solemnity. In Mexico, the same day is celebrated with colour, music, food and laughter, because death isn't feared but embraced as a natural part of life.

In our experience, more and more people in the UK incorporate Mexican elements into the way they remember the departed: they set up small ofrendas at home, make pan de muerto, paint skulls for parties. It isn't cultural appropriation but mutual enrichment — after all, both traditions share the same root: honouring those who are no longer here.

Many Mexican restaurants in the UK offer special Day of the Dead menus during the last week of October and the first of November. It's an excellent opportunity to experience the tradition through the food: black mole, pan de muerto with hot chocolate, sugar skulls and mezcal. See our directory and call ahead to book, because spaces fill up fast.

Traditional Day of the Dead Recipes

If you want to cook something special for these dates, the traditional recipes of the Day of the Dead include black mole (the ceremonial dish par excellence), tamales with different fillings, calabaza en tacha (squash cooked with piloncillo, cinnamon and guava), atole (a hot corn drink), and of course pan de muerto. Many of the special ingredients you'll find in the Mexican shops that appear in our directory, especially during the October-November season when they increase their stock of seasonal products.