As Mexico and its diaspora celebrates Día de los Muertos this year, a new tradition continues to make its mark on the holiday. The Day of the Dead is a vibrant celebration honoring the lives of departed loved ones, with November 1st dedicated to remembering the souls of children and infants, known as the “Day of the Innocents,” and November 2nd reserved for commemorating deceased adults, often called the “Day of All Souls.” Increasingly, however, Mexican families are also paying respects to the animals they’ve lost, with the 27th of October now considered Day of the Dead for pets.
“We are experiencing changes in the traditions. It is happening very fast,” said Ethnohistorian Juan Pablo García Urióstegui of Mexico’s National Anthropology Museum. He noted that, with an increasing number of families not having children, couples often view their pets as their kids.
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“That’s where you see these practices concerning death starting to take hold,” he said. “They are no longer just another companion … they are living beings who hold memories, and whose memory must be commemorated.”
On the Day of the Dead, traditional offerings for human souls include altars decorated with marigolds, candles, photos, and favorite foods or beverages of the departed—anything that would make them feel welcomed and celebrated, basically. For pets, Day of the Dead offerings might include treats, toys, and bowls of water, often arranged with the same loving care.
Dogs have held a significant place in Mexican culture for thousands of years, dating back to pre-Columbian times, when indigenous civilizations revered them not only as companions but as sacred beings.
The Xoloitzcuintli, also known as the Mexican hairless dog, is one of the oldest dog breeds in the Americas and was considered a sacred guide to the afterlife. Aztec and Maya civilizations believed that Xoloitzcuintli accompanied souls on their journey through the underworld, serving as protectors and intermediaries between the earthly and spiritual realms.
As a result, these dogs were often buried alongside their owners to fulfill this sacred duty, symbolizing a deep spiritual bond that transcended life and death.
