Día de Muertos: Why the Right Name Matters
As Día de Muertos draws near, the sights of sugar skulls, pan de muerto, cempasúchitl flowers, and towering altars honoring our loved ones, fill homes and restaurants. This tradition has crossed borders, bringing the heart of this Mexican celebration to communities far and wide.
In the past decade, I’ve watched as Día de Muertos has gained real traction in the U.S., becoming stronger each year. Schools, community centers, and even major brands have started hosting their own events. In fact, this year I was delighted to find an entire selection of ofrenda essentials in downtown Chicago.
Yet, some details are slipping through the cracks—like calling it “Día de los Muertos” instead of Día de Muertos. This isn’t just a linguistic slip. When we shift from Día de Muertos to Día de los Muertos, we lose a little of the celebration’s soul. It’s not just a day for honoring “the dead” in some distant, abstract way; it’s about the living honoring our dead side by side. Día de Muertos, in its simplicity, speaks directly to that connection.
Día de Muertos isn’t a spectacle meant to be admired from afar. It’s a day when the dead and the living gather around the same table. Families set out an extra glass of mezcal, get together to prepare plates of their loved ones’ favorite foods, and fill the air with music to host them. It’s also a time to cherish those around us, and to remember that this tradition belongs as much to the living as it does to the spirits we honor.
Interestingly, the influence of U.S. pop culture on Día de Muertos has even circled back to Mexico, shaping the celebration in new ways. In 2015, the James Bond movie “Spectre” inspired a new tradition, and as a result, Mexico City now hosts a parade. And while it’s natural for traditions to evolve, it’s essential to keep them grounded in their roots or at least try to understand them so that we know why they matter.
Perhaps that’s why it’s a little jarring to see big corporations, marketing campaigns, and even well-intentioned small businesses miss the mark with “Día de los Muertos.” Adding a “los” might seem like a harmless translation of “Day of the Dead,” but as it becomes more widespread, this subtle shift keeps the living out of the celebration, gradually stripping away the essence that makes it Día de Muertos in the first place.
If Día de Muertos teaches us anything, it’s that memory, like language, is alive. Getting the name right is about honoring a legacy and preserving a tradition. So let’s call it by its real name—Día de Muertos—and remember that, much like tradition itself, every name carries a story.
