Long before it became a colorful public celebration, Día de los Muertos — the Day of the Dead — was a sacred tradition that began in pre-Hispanic Mexico. The Aztecs and other Indigenous peoples believed death was not the end, but part of a continual cycle. When Spanish colonizers arrived in the 16th century, those ancient customs blended with All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day observances to form the holiday as it’s known today: a time to remember loved ones who have passed and to welcome their spirits home with food, music, and light.

In modern times, Día de los Muertos is celebrated across Mexico and the American Southwest, but it holds special meaning in San Diego — a city shaped by deep cultural ties to Baja California and Mexico’s interior. Here, the observances range from family altars

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