Happy Halloween and Dia de los Muertos!

This time of the year is my absolute favorite. Growing up in Mexico I loved setting up an altar for my loved ones, now that I live here in the United States, I make sure to keep that tradition strong.

In Mexico we see death differently than in most other western countries. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday that is celebrated annually from October 31 to November 2. It is a time when families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink, and celebration. The whole affair is a mix of Mesoamerican practices, Catholicism and Spanish culture.

The roots of the Day of the Dead go back some 3,000 years to the rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The Aztecs and other Nahua people living in what is now central Mexico held a cyclical view of the universe and saw death as an integral, ever-present part of life. Upon dying, a person was believed to travel to Chicunamictlán, the Land of the Dead. Only after getting through nine challenging levels, a journey of several years, could the person’s soul finally reach Mictlán, the final resting place. In Nahua rituals honoring the dead, traditionally held in August, family members provided food, water, and tools to aid the deceased in this difficult journey.

This inspired the contemporary Day of the Dead practice in which people leave food or other offerings on their loved ones’ graves or set them out on makeshift altars called ofrendas in their homes.

While Dia de los Muertos starts on All Hallows Eve, it is not the Mexican Halloween, but rather a colorful celebration of life and death that honors our loved ones.

Caronte Reprint - Special Sale

To celebrate this special time of year all Dia de los Muertos prints will be on sale. Use Code: DDLM23 for an additional 20% discount on any item on the store!

You will also be able to pre-order Caronte for the first time since 2020. These prints will be made to order and printed on Rives BFK paper with Speedball Professional Relief Oil Based Ink.

I hope you have a safe and happy Halloween and Dias de los Muertos!

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