What’s the Meaning of the Marigold on Día de Muertos?

This divine origin story is significant, Spicer-Escalante explains, in that the notion of a divine “gift” is part of the celebration as a whole, and the Indigenous people of Mexico believed that both the scent and colorful nature of the marigold guided their loved ones to return home to the altars their families prepared. “That traditional practice continues to this day, both in Mexico and the U.S. Indeed, in many instances, cempasúchitl petals, with their aroma and bright colors, are spread out to lead the deceased to the ofrenda, creating a guiding pathway of sorts to lead the deceased there,” he says. “The flowers are a warm, welcoming invitation to both the living and the deceased. They remind us to seek out beauty even in the loss of our loved ones.”