Feliz Día de los Muertos
November 1 and 2 are very special holidays here in Peru, November 1 is "Día de la Vivo" and November 2 is “Día de los Muertos", or Day of the Living/All Saints’ Day, and Day of the Dead/All Souls’ Day, beautiful blends of Andean ancestral tradition and Catholic observances.
You’re likely familiar with the festive, ornately costumed, colorful traditions celebrated in Mexico (Oaxaca especially). While the celebrations in Mexico and Peru share deep Indigenous roots and Catholic influence, they’ve evolved in very different ways. Both center on honoring the dead, yet the tone, imagery, and cultural expression are distinct.
Here is how the days are honored in Peru:
🇵🇪 November 1 – Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints’ Day)
This day honors all the saints and souls who have reached heaven.
It’s a public holiday in Peru, so most people have the day off.
Families often attend Mass, light candles, and bring flowers to cemeteries.
In some regions, it’s also a day for family gatherings and traditional foods, such as lechón al horno (roast pork), tamales, chicha morada, or tanta wawa (sweet bread shaped like babies or dolls symbolizing the souls of children).
It’s a celebration of life, holiness, and community connection.
💀 November 2 – Día de los Difuntos (All Souls’ Day or Day of the Dead)
This day focuses on honoring deceased loved ones.
Families visit cemeteries, often decorating graves with flowers, food, music, and candles.
In many Andean communities, people bring offerings of favorite foods and drinks to share symbolically with their ancestors — a tradition that merges Catholic and pre-Columbian beliefs about the ongoing relationship between the living and the dead.
It’s common to spend the day at the cemetery, eating, drinking, and remembering together — a reflection of the Andean view that death is part of the natural cycle rather than an end.
Together, they’re days of connection, continuity, and gratitude — celebrating both the living and the dead, preciousness and impermanence.
Quilla & Kimchi celebrating the more American way!
