Across Quebec, members of the Mexican diaspora are keeping centuries-old traditions alive this Día de Muertos — a vibrant, reflective holiday that celebrates life, death, and memory.
In Boucherville, Karla Frey spent weeks building her ofrenda, or altar, to honour loved ones who’ve passed. This year, it included photos of her five-year-old neighbour and his mother, both killed in a recent car crash.
“He loved my ofrenda, and I made it a little bit for him, too,” Frey said.
Her altar glows with candles, cempasúchil (marigolds), papel picado, mezcal, and pan de muerto — each symbol inviting spirits home. For Frey, it’s more than ritual; it’s a bridge between Mexico City and Quebec, between past and present.
Honouring life through remembrance
The Day of the Dead, rooted in Indigenous traditions, runs from late October to early November. Families across Mexico — and now Quebec — decorate homes, cemeteries, and community spaces to welcome back the dead with love and colour.
In Gatineau, Gerardo Familiar Ferrer recreates this spirit at UNAM-Canada’s immersive exhibit, where visitors walk through a replica cave filled with copal incense, marigolds, candles, and symbolic dogs (Xoloitzcuintle) said to guide souls.
“For Indigenous peoples of Mexico, caves are a bridge between the afterlife and the living world,” said Ferrer, whose altar includes the names of family members lost.
A festival of connection and healing
In Montreal, Rafael Benitez, co-founder of PAAL Partageons le monde, channels his grief through the city’s Día de Muertos Festival, now a growing space for intercultural exchange.
“It helped me understand my mother’s transition to another stage of life,” said Benitez, who lost his sister and mother.
This weekend’s edition features ten themed altars celebrating Indigenous resilience — from Mexico’s Comcáac people to Quebec’s Kanien’kehá:ka — emphasizing unity through shared ancestral remembrance.
‘It’s a joyful day, not sad’
Despite its name, Día de Muertos is anything but somber. For participants, it’s a moment of gratitude, reflection, and celebration.
“It’s a joyful day,” said Frey. “I want my daughters to see how much I love — so when the time comes, they’ll know I want to be there.”
Each year, her altar stands as both a tribute and a lesson: that remembering the dead is a way to keep them alive — and to remind the living not to fear death, but to cherish life.
