A "Katrina Skeleton" and her husband, the Catrin, stand in front of an altar called "ofrenda" in memory of their deceased loved ones. The altar is filled with portraits of the dead, crosses, candles, flowers, incense burners, and holy water for the dead to help these souls free themselves from the exhaustion of the journey. Photographed by Austin Beahm, national geographic your shot
In Oaxaca, Mexico, calendulas filled the entire ceremony site. Originating in Mexico, these "flowers of death" are an indispensable and important element of the Day of the Dead. The Aztecs used calendula to cure hiccups, to help those frightened by lightning regain their minds, and to help those who crossed the river to regain their strength. Photo by Willem Kuijpers, National Geographic Your Shot
The Katrina Skeleton by artist José Guadalupe Posada, also known as calavera garbancera, depicts indigenous Mexicans who are tainted with european aristocratic fashion, such as the long ballroom dress, dress gloves and lace folding fan of the Oaxaca parade crowd in the picture. It is worth mentioning that these costume customs actually came from Europe through Japan across the ocean. Photo by Daniel Kudish, national geographic your shot
In Haiti, the Mexican Day of the Dead corresponds to the "Gede Festival", where local devotees play the role of the undead by smearing their faces and wearing purple and black costumes. Spicy rum is poured on tombstones, festival ceremonies are piled with bones, and people gather around the cemetery to worship baron samedi, the god of death. Photo by Ricardo arduengo, national geographic your shot
The Skeleton of Katrina is the iconic female figure of the Mexican Day of the Dead, based on the artist José Guadalupe posada. The woman wearing rose ornaments was filmed at Hollywood's Immortal Cemetery during the 2017 Day of the Dead in honor of the posada master of art. Photo by Melissa Cormican, National Geographic Your Shot
On Mexico City's Day of the Dead, children take part in the parade in the form of skeletons. The festival on November 1 commemorates the passing of children, and on the 2nd, the deceased adults are celebrated, but for two days there is a repeated reminder of the preciousness and brevity of life. Photographed by Alejandro pÉrez, national geographic your shot
The Day of the Dead in the town of Sumpango in Guatemala coincides with the Big Mac Kite Festival. Some annual kites are 20 meters long, made of bamboo, white-brown rope and cloth; the motifs range from modern to biblical themes. Photo by Camilo Sarti, National Geographic Your Shot
The inhabitants of the Mexican town of San Juan Chamra are almost all indigenous people, and the cemetery here exemplifies the local traditions. The Zozyr language (the Zozyr were a branch of the Mayans) is the dominant language here, and the cemetery stands a cross created by the Mayans, unlike the Christianity that subsequently influenced it. The white Mayan cross represents the children's grave; the blue and green represent the adult; and the black represents the old man. During the Day of the Dead, pine and calendula are indispensable to the ceremony. Photo by Rodrigo pardo, national geographic your
In San Francisco, offering tables are a necessary part of The Day of the Dead. Out of respect, alcohol must not be involved during the festival. Whether it is an offering table or an altar, most of them are dedicated to the beloved food or objects of the deceased, looking forward to the arrival of the souls of the deceased and absorbing the essence of the food. Photo by Steve Shpall, national geographic your shot
The Day of the Dead highlights many ancient Indigenous cultures and contributes a lot to the inheritance and protection of cultural practices. At a festival in California, a woman dressed in feathers reminiscent of the Aztec fertility goddess xochiquetzal has many feathers, and people often pay homage to the goddess on the Day of the Dead and decorate the ceremony with marigolds. Photo by Melissa Cormican, National Geographic Your Shot
A child in Oaxaca, Mexico, stands in the middle of several giant tequila plants, playing as a skeleton version of a cowboy. In northern Michoacan, mezcal wine is made from tequila and buried in the ground for 9 months until the Day of the Dead. Photo by Eva Lepiz, national geographic your shot
During the Day of the Dead, Mexicans often light candles to keep vigils in cemeteries, as in this cemetery in Oaxaca. Unlike the solo remembrance of the dead, the tradition of vigil is more vivid and collective. The strong smell of calendula perfume envelops each freshly cleaned grave, trying to wake up the dead and invite them to join the festivities. Photo by Mariana YaÑez, national geographic your shot
The Hollywood Immortal Cemetery in Los Angeles is home to the largest festival of the dead outside of Mexico. As across Mexico, the multicolored flowers and banners during the Los Angeles Day of the Dead are handmade from paper or flowers, symbolizing the fragility of life. Photo by Dotan Saguy, national geographic your shot
At the Day of the Dead in The Town of Turingua, Texas, locals gather at trading companies, where they make up, sing, and then head to cemeteries to honor their deceased miners. It is said that the butterfly costumes they wear symbolize the returning souls. Photo by Michael Anglin, national geographic your shot
The san andres mixquic region is known for its grand festival of the dead, with almost everyone participating in candlelight vigils and street performances, as well as ubiquitous Mexican wandering bands, heart-warming pozole stews, skull-shaped bread, marshmallows and fried grasshoppers. Photo by Mauricio Challu, national geographic your shot
The women of San Andrés, Mexico, make delicious meatballs during the Day of the Dead, which are also common offerings on altars. These meatballs are topped with mint and can also be added as an ingredient to broth or smoked tomato sauce. Photo by Pauline Stevens, national geographic your shot
"Bread of the Dead" is a soft and sweet bread with shredded fennel and orange meat added to it, and is a staple food during the Day of the Dead. The dome of the bread is also decorated with dough shaped like bones or teardrops. Photo by Cintia Soto, National Geographic Your Shot
The Giant Kite Festival in the town of Sumpango in Guatemala takes place near the active volcano Fuego. The local Day of the Dead coincides with the Kite Festival, and this year's Day of the Dead will be particularly heavy because of the massive volcanic eruptions of 2018 that caused huge casualties. Photo by gloria gonzalez, national geographic your shot