The origins of Día de los Muertos trace back thousands of years to pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican cultures, particularly the Aztecs, Mayans, Toltecs, and Nahua people. For these ancient civilizations, death was not an end but a continuation of life, a natural phase in an endless cycle. They believed that mourning the dead was disrespectful, as the departed continued to exist in the afterlife.

In Aztec tradition, rituals honoring the dead took place during the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, presided over by the goddess Mictecacíhuatl, known as the “Lady of the Dead.” These celebrations often involved offerings, dances, and ceremonies dedicated to ancestors and the underworld. Skulls were prominent symbols, representing rebirth and the cycle of life and death, often kept as trophies or used in rituals.