Spirits Among Us

Celebrating Life, Honoring Death

Since the first time I witnessed this tradition, I find myself drawn back to Mexico for Día de los Muertos—a celebration that’s as much about life as it is about death. Through this series, I invite you to wander with me from the bustling city streets where families prepare altars and paint faces, to the quiet, candlelit cemeteries where memories linger and laughter mixes with prayer, and finally to the vibrant evening festivities that pulse with music and joy. I am endlessly fascinated by how this tradition embraces both the sacred and the celebratory, weaving together loss and love in a way that feels deeply healing. I can’t help but think that the world would be a kinder, more connected place if we all learned to honor our departed like this—by making space for both tears and laughter, remembrance and revelry.

Visitors of the celebration getting face paints during the day of the dead celebrations in the Coyoacán area of Mexico City
Visitors of the celebration getting face paints during the day of the dead celebrations in the Coyoacán area of Mexico City
Woman with artistic face-paint posing for a picture in Coyoacán, Mexico City
Woman with artistic face-paint posing for a picture in Coyoacán, Mexico City
Little girl showing off her day of the dead attire during the celebrations in Oaxaca City, Mexico
Little girl showing off her day of the dead attire during the celebrations in Oaxaca City, Mexico
Marigolds lining the wasy to an artistic day of the dead installation in the San Angel neighborhood in Mexico City
Marigolds lining the wasy to an artistic day of the dead installation in the San Angel neighborhood in Mexico City
The picture of a loved one placed on a traditional Day of the Dead altar in Oaxaca City
The picture of a loved one placed on a traditional Day of the Dead altar in Oaxaca City
The cemetery of Oaxaca City lit up at night by the families of the departed
The cemetery of Oaxaca City lit up at night by the families of the departed
The graves are a meeting place of friends and relatives and a place for remembrance, grieving as well as celebration.
The graves are a meeting place of friends and relatives and a place for remembrance, grieving as well as celebration.
Musicians play the favorite songs of the dead for their relatives gathered to honor their memories
Musicians play the favorite songs of the dead for their relatives gathered to honor their memories
A large light-installation of a Catrina stretched out between buildings at the Zócalo, the central square of Mexico City
A large light-installation of a Catrina stretched out between buildings at the Zócalo, the central square of Mexico City
Diverse art installations are set up every year at the Zócalo in Mexico City
Diverse art installations are set up every year at the Zócalo in Mexico City
People dancing in the streets of Oaxaca City
People dancing in the streets of Oaxaca City
Playfulness and celebration is a key element of the Day of the Dead in Mexico, just as much as quiet moments of reflection and remembrance.
Playfulness and celebration is a key element of the Day of the Dead in Mexico, just as much as quiet moments of reflection and remembrance.
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