When the Spanish Conquistadors landed in what is now Mexico more than 500 years ago, they encountered natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death: el Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. It was a ritual the indigenous people had been practicing at least 3,000 years.

Today, people wear wooden skull masks called calacas and dance in honor of their deceased relatives. The wooden skulls are also placed on altars that are dedicated to the dead.

In the United States and in Mexico's larger cities, families build altars in their homes, dedicating them to the dead. They surround these altars with flowers, food and pictures of the deceased. They light candles and place them next to the altar.

Use our supplies on Day of the Dead art and get your house ready to welcome the deceased. Browse our site for decorating supplies, party favors and gifts... and even party game ideas!