October 12, 2010 > Day of the Dead Day of the Dead Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican tradition that, despite its name, has much to do with life. Dating to the period of Aztec dominance, use of symbols of death such as skulls and masks reveal a belief that death is not an end, rather a continuing cycle between life and death. Those who have passed through life prior to the present generation are venerated and remembered on this day through art, cemetery visits and family gatherings.