Day of the Dead, celebrated Nov. 1-2, is one of the oldest traditions in Mexico and a beloved holiday where the community commemorates the deceased with offerings, altars, and more.
Often associated with sugar skulls, visits to the graveyards, and colorful altars, it’s believed that people return from the dead to coexist with their loved ones and celebrate life after death on these dates.
As tradition holds, altars are placed in family homes or at graveyards and are decorated with orange Cempasúchil flowers known as “las flores de los muertos” (the flowers of the dead). A photo of the late loved one, their belongings, food (such as pan de muerto and buñuelos), and a cup of water that signifies purity are also placed on the altar.
In honor of Day of the Dead, Spotify curated the ultimate playlist, including more than 100 songs fit for the Mexican holiday.
One of the most emblematic tracks on the playlist is Angela Aguilar’s melancholic rendition of “La Llorona.” The popular Mexican folk song has been around since the 1940s and sheds light on the urban legend of a wailing woman who drowned her children in a river as a revenge to her unfaithful husband, and later, as a spirit, she walked to shores of the river, crying and searching for her kids.
Other Día de los Muertos-themed songs in the over six-hour-long playlist include Julieta Venega’s “Mis Muertos,” Carlos Rivera’s “Recuerdame,” Los Angeles Negros “Murió La Flor,” Los Fabulosos Cadillacs‘ “Calaveras y Diablitos,” La Santa Cecilia’s “Calaverita,” and many more.
Listen to it below:
