We are months away from the “Day of the Dead” (Día de los Muertos), a central and southern Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1 and 2, days that coincide with the Catholic celebration of All Soul’s and All Saint’s Day. We admit a fondness for the art that surrounds this holiday because while it initially seems ghoulish, an understanding of the holiday makes it less so.

Celebrants believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and at that moment, the spirits of the deceased are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. This has come to include their dogs.

The Day of the Dead can be a very expensive holiday for rural, self-sufficient families, and many spend over two month’s income to honor their dead loved ones. They believe in keeping the spirits happy because happy spirits provide protection, good luck and wisdom to their families. Sugar Skulls are a traditional folk art used to celebrate Day of the Dead. These mounds of colorful sugar skulls sold by Indian vendors in open air village markets the week before the holiday are either taken home where they adorn beautifully decorated altars, or to cemeteries where they decorate tombs and gravestones.

The symbol is a commemoration of a loved one. We don’t have to wait for someone to pass on to offer them a sugar skull. One can be given as a gift on the Day of the Dead as a sweet reminder that death is the only thing guaranteed in this life. Learn to make your own here.

French Bulldog Dog Sugar Skull pet memorial by SpiritofAine