Why Día de Muertos will always be my favorite time of the year

Why Día de Muertos will always be my favorite time of the year
Every year, right when October is ending, something magical happens here in Mexico City. The streets start to glow with candles and bright orange marigolds, and the air smells like sweet bread. It’s time for Día de Muertos – one of the most beautiful and meaningful celebrations we have in Mexico.
If you’ve only seen it in movies or on social media (especially Coco movie from Disney), you might think it’s just a big colorful party with painted skulls and parades. And sure, it is fun and loud and full of life. But for us, it’s way more than that. Día de Muertos is when we believe our loved ones who passed away come back to visit us.

In my family, we build an ofrenda (altar) in our living room every year. We put up photos of our grandparents, their favorite drinks and snacks, candles, sugar skulls, and pan de muerto – a soft, sweet bread we all love. When I was younger, I used to sit on the floor and watch my grandma light each candle carefully. She’d whisper something every time she placed one. It always felt like something special was happening.
In just a few days, in the big main square, there will be giant skull sculptures, music everywhere, and people dressed as skeletons. My friends and I will spend hours doing our face paint and taking pictures, but honestly, the best part will be just walking through the crowd, feeling like everyone was celebrating the same thing together. At school, we build a small altar with photos, flowers, and paper decorations we made ourselves. We also post stories on Instagram with the hashtag #DíaDeMuertosVive.
For me, this celebration isn’t about being sad. It’s about remembering the people we love and feeling close to them again, even if just for a night. It’s about music, laughter, candles, and the smell of marigolds everywhere.
If you ever visit Mexico during this time, don’t just watch from the side. Light a candle. Eat some pan de muerto. Talk about someone you miss. That’s what Día de Muertos is really about – love that doesn’t disappear, even when people do.
“Mientras recordemos a los que amamos, ellos nunca mueren.” – While we remember those we love, they never die.