Every November 2, millions of people across Mexico celebrate Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. It is not a sad day. It is a joyful celebration of life and memory. Families build altars called ofrendas in their homes. They decorate them with photographs of loved ones who have died. They add candles, food, drinks, and bright orange marigold flowers. The marigolds are important because people believe their strong smell helps guide spirits back to the living world. One of the most recognizable art forms of the holiday is the sugar skull, called a calavera. These are small skulls made from sugar, chocolate, or clay. Artists paint them in vivid colors with intricate flower and swirl designs. Each skull is often made to represent a specific person who has died. Face painting is another popular tradition. People paint their faces to look like calaveras, using black and white paint with colorful accents around the eyes and cheeks. The holiday has roots that go back thousands of years to the Aztec people, who believed that death was a natural part of life's journey. Spanish colonizers brought Catholic traditions that blended with Aztec beliefs, creating the celebration we see today.