Prologue: A letter to my great-great-grandchildren -- INTRODUCTION: Meeting La Catrina and the Goddess of Death -- Why we should talk about death -- THE OFRENDA AND THE ALTAR: The elements of the Ofrenda -- Pan de Muerto -- The colors of Day of the Dead -- The Ofrenda basket -- Creating an altar of your own -- CELEBRATING DAY OF THE DEAD AT HOME: Day of the Dead Calendar -- Catrina Papel Picado -- Calaveritas de Azúcar (Sugar Skulls) -- Pan de Muerto with charred corn husk -- OTHER TRADITIONS TO HONOR THE DECEASED: Visiting the Panteones -- Tito Santiago and the Skeleton -- Index -- Acknowledgments -- Bibliography

"Día de Muertos is a celebration of life and an opportunity to honor loved ones lost. Death is universal, but too often we are alone in our grief, unable to share either our pain or our cherished memories. Día de Muertos creates a pathway, giving permission to remember, to grieve, and to celebrate the lives of the people we've lost. Whether you are new to this tradition or have grown up celebrating it, MEXICO'S DAY OF THE DEAD is an invitation to personalize this holiday, with recipes for making sugar skulls, papel picado, and pan de muerto, tips for building an altar, a history of the holiday, and, throughout, abundant photography taken across Mexico. Creating an altar, displaying photos and items we associate with the deceased, and forging meaningful rituals creates a bridge to our family histories, bonds us to our communities, and keeps these loved ones alive in our hearts. As practical as it is personal, MEXICO'S DAY OF THE DEAD is a book to be read cover to cover, used, and shared with family and friends."--Back cover