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An Alfeñique was a sweet originated in Spain made with sugar and other ingredients to create this decorative sugar skull. It was commonly used in Islamic Spain, to treat colds and coughs. In Spain they called this form of medicine “Al- Fanid”. Over the years the recipe spread to Mexico, and they added their own twist by creating it into a sugar skull on the celebration “ dia de los muertos”. Over the years people have modified the treat and have made it into many different shapes, such as rabbits, lions, ducks, doves, cows, bulls, donkeys, pigs, frogs, horses, deer, angels, and coffins.

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The altar is to celebrate and honor the deceased, it is also used to help guide the spirits back to the land of the living

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They are elegantly dressed skeleton figures meant to be a symbol for Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. La Calavera Catrina was first an etching, created referencing to the high-society obsession with European customs and became a symbol later on for this celebration.

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Alebrijes are colorful and significant pieces of the Aztec folklore, they are said to capture your attention as well as your soul. Alebrijes are spirit guides and are believed to protect ones home from evil spirits

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Every year on November 1st, the people in Spain and many other countries celebrate Dia de Todos los Santos( All Saints' day) in honor of their deceased relatives and friends.

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November 1 is El Dia de los Angelitos or the Day of the Little Angels. It is believed that on this day the souls of departed children return home.

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Mole is a thick, dense sauce starts with at least three types of dried chilies, contains smoky whole spices, and gets its dark brown, almost black color from a Mexican her hoja santa, and lots of dark unsweetened chocolate. It comes from the state of Oaxaca, where it is traditionally known as the “Land of the Seven Moles”. Mole Negro is the one that is symbolically prepared during Day of the Dead. This is an intricate sauce to make and often the recipes are passed down through family generations. Symbolic of the way Mexico blended European and Aztec cultures in the years after the Spanish Conquest.

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Copal is an incense made from resin that comes from a tree. The incense is burned and typically placed on Day of the Dead altars to draw in the spirits.

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Pan de Muerto is a type of dulce. Traditionally baked in Mexico, Pan de Muerto is created the weeks leading up to Day of the Dead. It is made out of flour, eggs, butter, and yeast, sprinkled with sugar on top. This dulce is often seasoned with orange blossoms or orange zest.

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Calaveras means skulls/ skeletons. By tradition the skull face paint represents their ancestors who have passed away and celebrates the meaning of their death.

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During the Day of the Dead celebration in Oaxaca, you'll also see comparsas. These are traditional parades that symbolize return of the dead. The comparsas include costumed performers and marching bands that wind their ways around the streets of the city center.

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Pulque is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant. It has the color of milk, a rather viscious consistency and a sour yeast-like taste. Pulque for dia de los muertos is offered to toast the arrival of the ancestors. In pre-Columbian times, pulque was reserved for special spiritual ceremonies. Now, any alcoholic beverage favored by the dead can be used to toast.

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Dia de los santos is celebreted to go to the cemetary with flowers and palms pine needlesand wreaths to reunite loved ones at the graves. It is normaly celebrated on november 1st the day after halloween to bring light after the dark (halloween).It is also a feast for all the saints.

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Danza de los Viejitos said have begun as a dance in the Purepecha Region. The men that perform this dance are known as "Danzantes" or "Dancers." This dance was danced by the Purepecha people four men to represent fire, water, earth, and air. Four dancers are also believed to be the correct number to dance in this traditional performance because there are four colors that make corn which is red, yellow, white, and blue. The dancers ask El Dios Viejo (The Old God) for good harvest, communication with spirits, and to learn about the past or to predict the future.

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La Alumbrada is a time when the community gathers around to light candles on the tombstones of their loved ones. The light helps the spirits find the way back to their world.

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La iluminacion is a ceremony that takes place in a cemetery following la noche de duelo, where hundreds of candles are lit to help guide souls to their altars for the night time vigil.

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Papel Picado is a folk art that is found all over mexico. It relates to dia de los muertos because it is found on the ofrenda and represents the wind.

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El día de los Muertos, an ancient Mexican celebration in which families reconnect with departed ancestors, provides a special opportunity to remember and celebrate the life and legacy of those who have moved ahead into the sacred lands of Mictlan, the realm of the “fleshless” or the dead.

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A calaca is the spanish name for a skeleton which is usually used as a decoration on dia de los muertos. Not to be confused with the calavera which is just a skull while the calaca is a whole skeleton.

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Mictlantecuhtli, also known as "Lord of The Land of The Dead" plays a big part in the history of dia de los muertos with the event being for the dead and Mictlantecuhtli overseeing the underworld

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Often called “flowers of the dead,” cempasuchil, or flor de muerto, these bright orange and yellow flowers' fragrance is said to attract souls to the altar. Their bright and cheery color also celebrate life instead of feeling bitter about death.

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In the mythology of the Aztec people , Mictecacihuatl is the "lady of the dead." Mictecacihuatl ruled over Mictan, the lowest level ofthe underworld where the dead reside. In mythology, Mictecacihuatl's role is to guard the bones of the dead and govern over the festivals of the dead. These festivals eventually added some of their customs to modern Day of the Dead.

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El día de los Muertos, an ancient Mexican celebration in which families reconnect with departed ancestors, provides a special opportunity to remember and celebrate the life and legacy of those who have moved ahead into the sacred lands of Mictlan, the realm of the “fleshless” or the dead.

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Atole is a traditional non- alcoholic thick beverage made of corn, cinnamon, and vanilla and is served warm to comfort during the day of the dead.It is a hot corn masa based beverage of Mexican origin.

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One of José Guadalupe Posada's drawings.

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José Guadalupe Posada was a Mexican illustrator. He was a Mexican political lithographer who used relief printing to produce popular illustrations. His work has influenced numerous Latin american artists and cartoonists because of its satirical acuteness and social engagement. He used skulls, calaveras, and bones to convey political and cultural critiques. Among his most enduring works is La Calavera Catrina.

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Dia de los Muertos is about celebrating and remembering loved ones who have passed on.

From: Zayan khan

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La calavera de azucar means sugar skull. Sugar skulls represented a departed soul had the name written on the forehead and was placed on the home ofrenda or gravestone to honor the return of a particular spirit. ... Sugar skulls are labor intensive and made in very small batches in the homes of sugar skull makers.

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The meaning of La noche de duelo is "The Night of The Mourning" .   Its related to

Día de los Muertos because  La noche de duelo marks the beginning of Día de los Muertos (also known as day of the dead) it normally marks the beginning with a candlelight procession to the cemetery. (Picture is the candlelight procession)

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The Caretas masks relate to dia de los muertos since it is used by dancers to scare off the spirits at the end of the celebration. It has importance since without it, we can not send the spirits away from the land of the living.

- Simon Jones

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Skeletons are used to represent those who passed away, and often are painted as them doing normal everyday activities, and are actually a playful symbol of life after death.

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An ofrenda is celebrated on Día de Muertos and is a place where people would make offerings such as tamales, mole, oranges and sugarcane. The reason ofrendas are celebrated is because the Aztec's believed that souls continuously lived and would enter different realms when their body would die. The ofrenda is usually created for the family members of a person who have died and is intended to welcome them to the altar setting.

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Golletes are doughnut shaped bread, glazed with pink colored sugar and placed on the altar.