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Day of the DeadDía de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a holiday that honors deceased loved ones through traditions, including memorial altars, specialty foods, cemetery visits, and more. It takes place on Nov. 1 and 2 and is primarily celebrated in Mexico, where 91% of the population participates in Day of the Dead festivities, generating more than $2B in tourism revenue in 2023. Many other Latin American countries and places with large Mexican populations also observe the holiday.
Day of the Dead combines Aztec mythology, Indigenous heritage, and Catholic traditions. It has become more visible globally due to portrayals in popular culture, including a 2015 James Bond film and Disney’s 2017 animated feature “Coco,” which incorporated many of the holiday’s traditions.
Although Day of the Dead takes place close to Halloween, the two holidays have significant differences and cultural histories.Explore Day of the Dead
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JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis met at Oxford and bonded over Norse mythologyThe “Lord of the Rings” mastermind and “The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe” author were colleagues at Oxford University and shared an appreciation for Norse mythology, which continues to inform the fantasy genre. They were also a part of the same informal literary group, the Inklings, where they’d discuss one another’s works-in-progress. Christmas elves evolved from Norse mythology to Santa’s workshopElves originated as powerful human-sized beings in Norse mythology, closely tied to nature and fertility. In the 1800s, American writers reimagined them as tiny, toy-making assistants for Santa Claus, with later visual depictions by Norman Rockwell and Disney solidifying their role in Christmas folklore. Live ScienceAztec mythology informs the Day of the DeadThe ancient people believed the dead journeyed to Mictlán, the Land of the Dead. To get there, they had to travel for four years through nine underworld levels, with the final being occupied by Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec god of death, and his wife Mictecacíhuatl. LatinaPlay a game inspired by Aztec and Mayan mythologyThis free online game, Descent of the Serpent, guides players through Mesoamerican myths as they challenge the god Tezcatlipoca. Along the way, it introduces monuments and artifacts with short explanations of their meaning in Aztec and Mayan cultures. GoogleWatch a traditional Aztec fire-serpent dance rooted in Mexica mythologyThis video captures a performance of a Xicauhuatl—or fire-serpent—dance, rooted in Mexica beliefs that these serpents carried the sun across the sky. The performance highlights the fire serpent’s central role in Aztec ritual and storytelling. Indian Pueblo Cultural CenterThe Illuminati were a real espionage society in the 1770sBavarian professor Adam Weishaupt founded the group in 1776 as an anti-clerical, anti-royalist sect that used hierarchy, codes, and surveillance as a proto-spy network. Within a decade, it was suppressed, but the mythology never quite died. Today, it functions as an adaptable conspiracy theory, able to fit any era's anxieites about who really holds power. SPYSCAPEAuroral myths include Valkyries, firefoxes, and torchlight from giants fishing at nightIn Norse mythology, the light displays were considered reflections from the Valkyries' armor as the female warriors brought the souls of heroes to Valhalla. In Finland, firefoxes were thought to move so fast that they created sparks in the sky as their tails brushed against mountains. HurtigrutenRead 'The New Negro,' the influential collection edited by Alain LockeThe 1925 anthology features early works by Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, Jean Toomer, WEB DuBois, and more. You can read it in its entirety—for free—through the Internet Archive. Internet ArchiveAlain Locke's 'The New Negro' anthology helped define the Harlem RenaissanceThe 1925 collection of poetry, drama, short fiction, lyrics, and essays by Black writers was intended to document what Locke, a Harvard-trained philosopher and the first Black Rhodes Scholar, believed was a burgeoning Black consciousness that was "vibrant with a new psychology." The book is now considered one of the major impetuses for the Harlem Renaissance. Howard UniversityA beginner's guide to Toni MorrisonThe legendary American writer died in 2019, but her fiction is still as relevant as ever. This primer walks aspiring Morrison fans through her body of work, outlining the ideal starting point for several different kinds of readers. (Some readers may experience a paywall.) The New York TimesAdvertisers emphasized Cupid's childlike qualities to appeal to a younger demographicCupid is the Roman god of desire, and was often depicted in ancient mythology as both childlike and violent. In the 1800s, however, American advertisers eager to appeal to a younger demographic leaned into the less threatening versioning, portraying him as a cherubic child. JSTOROne doctor argued vampires were based on a real diseaseAt a conference in 1985, Canadian biochemist David H. Dolphin posited that stories of vampires and werewolves had a real-world origin. He argued that porphyria could have caused sufferers to seek out blood, as well as experience light sensitivity and an aversion to garlic. More than one article in the 1990s discredited this take. Atlas ObscuraThe US Navy prohibited sailors from toasting with waterA 1986 manual stated that "Tradition is that the object of a toast with water will die by drowning." The superstition is rooted in ancient Greek mythology, where the dead in the underworld drank from the River Lethe to forget their previous lives. As such, the Greeks believed toasting someone with water to be a way of cursing them to the underworld. VinepairFungi make people sick when they invade and survive in otherwise healthy human tissueWe breathe in airborne spores frequently, but they often don't make us sick. This video details how certain concerning fungal changes can occur and discusses the role of mycologists—scientists who study fungi—in helping to improve human health. The MRC Centre for Medical MycologyThe names of the 12 months are (mostly) derived from the RomansJanuary is named after two-faced Janus, February stems from a festival known as Februa, March comes from the god of war, Mars, and so on. Learn the origins and see ancient statues or art for the inspiration for each name of the month. The British MuseumNorse Yule solstice rituals inspired many modern Christmas decorationsScandinavian Vikings celebrated Yule during the winter solstice, burning massive, decorated logs to protect their homes and ensure good harvests, while hoping for the sun's return. The festival included evergreens, mistletoe, holly, and ivy. Jereme ZimmermanRobert Burns published ‘Auld Lang Syne’ while trying to preserve the Scots languageThe 18th-century poet collected folk songs from the language, which he worried was disappearing, when he heard an old man sing ‘Auld Lang Syne.’ Burns then revised some of the verses before publishing it in 1796 in an anthology called “Scots Musical Museum.” By the 1880s, it was being sung on the holiday in Scotland. CBS NewsWith the exception of Earth, the planets are named after Roman gods and goddessesMercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are named after the messenger of the gods, the goddess of love, the god of war, the king of gods, the god of agriculture, the god of the sky, and the god of the sea, respectively. "Earth" comes from Old English and Germanic words meaning "ground." HISTORYBlack cats got their frightening reputation in the Middle AgesThough many cultures in Africa, Asia, and Europe recognize black cats as symbols of good fortune, they're associated with bad luck and America's spookiest holiday. Their association with evil didn't gain traction until the 13th century, as religious figures and European folklore drew connections between cats, Satan worshippers, and witches. Reader's DigestWales has had a massive influence on fantasy music, movies and books Many of "The Lord of the Rings" settings and languages are rooted in the country's landscape and dialect. Studio Ghibli icon Hayao Miyazaki was inspired by Wales' countryside. Rock band Fleetwood Mac used Welsh myths as a basis for songs. Literary HubOptical clocks track time by measuring electron transitions involving visible lightThe frequency of visible light is significantly greater than that of microwaves used in cesium atomic clocks. This makes optical clocks about 100 times more accurate, losing at most one second across the entire age of the universe. NISTDreams have long been used for religious and political powerClassic literature and mythology attests to the crucial role dreams play in narratives, from the Virgin Birth to the prophetic visions of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The heightened state of dreaming and its analog, hallucinating, have long held special power over the collective imagination. AeonOxford scientists turned Fleming’s mold discovery into medicine In 1939, a team at Oxford—including Howard Florey, Ernst Chain, and Norman Heatley—revived Fleming’s forgotten discovery. Using makeshift equipment like bedpans and milk churns, they purified enough penicillin to prove it could treat deadly infections. University of OxfordNetflix's 'KPop Demon Hunters' is the streamer's most-watched original movieThe 2025 film, which combines K-pop music and Korean mythology, became a big hit on the streaming platform. It was equally successful in its limited theatrical release, shooting to the top of the box office rankings. AP NewsDinosaur names have shifted from ancient languages to pop culture referencesEarly dinosaur names used Greek and Latin roots, often just attaching “-saurus” (lizard) to another word describing a notable trait. Over time, this convention has evolved to incorporate the names of where the discovery was made, local languages, and even celebrities. Smithsonian MagazineCivilizations of the past mistook dinosaur fossils for dead mythological creaturesWithout knowledge of evolution or extinction, people believed such fossils were the bones of massive animals no one had ever seen alive, including dragons and giants. It was not until the science of paleontology and studies of extinction that these ideas were overturned definitively. Big ThinkScientists keep track of time via light absorbed by cesium and strontium atomsThese absorptions happen in cycles, where one second is defined as 9,192,631,770 cycles of cesium atom radiation. Strontium atoms can be used to make clocks that do not gain or lose a second in 15 billion years. NISTThe thousands of objects orbiting Jupiter include 95 officially recognized moonsJupiter's moons were first discovered on Jan. 7, 1610. They include Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system and larger than Mercury, Io, the most volcanically active moon, and Europa, which has a saltwater ocean. NASAThe Astronomical Congress designated 88 groups of stars as official constellationsThis 1928 decision helped distinguish important groups of stars used in navigation, calendars, and mythological storytelling from miscellaneous collections of stars called asterisms. The Big Dipper is a famous asterism in the constellation Ursa Major. Royal Museums GreenwichMarie Antoinette in her own wordsOften dismissed as frivolous and disconnected, Marie Antoinette’s reputation has been shaped more by myth than fact. In this podcast, Catriona Seth joins Ellie Cawthorne to explore the queen’s personal letters, offering a rare glimpse into her real thoughts and experiences—from her youth as a teenage bride to her tragic fate during the French Revolution. History Extra PodcastPicasso had several distinct periodsPicasso was known for his ever-evolving style, which art historians have often divided into his artistic periods. Warmer color palettes and subjects characterized his Pink Period (sometimes called the Rose Period). Other phases focused on neoclassical, surrealist, and mythological art and subjects. Below is Family of Saltimbanques from the Pink Period. Royal Delft MuseumExplore the National Cancer Institute's archive on treatmentsCancer is a complex disease with many different types, each with its own pathology. The best treatment may depend on characteristics specific to each person—even if two people share the same type of cancer. No single overview of treatments exists, but this resource from the National Cancer Institute lets you explore different options, side effects, an A-to-Z library of cancer drugs, and much more. National Cancer InstituteIn 1966, Dylan was in a motorcycle accidentAt the height of his popularity, Bob Dylan disappeared. The press reported it was due to a near-fatal motorcycle accident, though specifics were never provided. When he returned some time later, with a new album and sound, Dylan fans treated the accident as a pivotal moment in the legendary artist’s career. But there’s ample proof the accident never happened and, at its core, was little more than a cover story for a burnt-out rock star. DisgracelandOpera seria and opera buffa differ in their tones and themesOpera began in the late 1590s with "Dafne" and evolved into two styles by the 18th century. Opera seria catered to elites with heroic, mythological themes, while opera buffa brought humor and relatable stories to wider audiences. Today, modern opera often tackles contemporary social issues. 1440The dragon has been central to Chinese culture since ancient timesOne of the most recognizable symbols in Chinese culture, the dragon
is known as a mighty yet often benevolent creature. The dragon is capable of interacting with gods in the heavens; it can turn invisible, shape-shift, and control the weather. These features made the mythological creature hugely significant to the Chinese people because if they could summon dragons, other aspects of their life could improve. StoriedThe first surviving opera tells the story of Orpheus and EuridiceJacopo Peri's “Euridice,” premiered in 1600, is the oldest surviving opera. The story is based on the Greek mythology tale about a musician named Orpheus who attempts to save his wife from the underworld by pleasing the god Hades with his musical talents. Tout Est MusiqueLeaving cookies for Santa became popular in America during the Great DepressionDuring the period of economic hardship, many parents wanted to teach their children the importance of sharing and gratitude. The tradition dates even further back to ancient Norse mythology. The god Odin and his eight-legged horse, Sleipner, were left food in exchange for gifts. HistoryWas Google's acquisition of YouTube a good deal?Google's acquisition of YouTube was a game-changer, but was it a good deal in retrospect? Here, the hosts of the popular "Acquired" podcast explore whether the deal measures up to the mythology, starting with a memo from early investor Sequoia Capital. AcquiredThe Aztecs worshipped a vast pantheon of more than 200 godsThis detailed visualization breaks down how Aztec deities were identified through symbolic cues—colors, garments, poses, and objects—each reflecting specific powers and mythologies. It highlights fearsome figures like Tlaltecuhtli, the earth monster depicted with a gaping maw, said to devour the sun each night. The PuddingDinosaurs suffered from cancer, arthritis, and infections seen in modern animalsUsing CT scans and advanced pathology techniques, paleopathologists have identified respiratory illnesses, malignant osteosarcoma, and other diseases in dinosaurs. The research has helped show how many of these ailments are not exclusively modern phenomena. BBC News
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