Stock Photo - Young couples, costumed as â. . La Catrinaâ. . , a Mexican pop culture icon representing the Death, walk through the town during the Day of the Dead festivities in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico, 1 November 2014. Day of the Dead (â. . Día de los Muertosâ. . ) is a syncretic religious holiday, celebrated throughout Mexico, combining the death venaration rituals of the ancient Aztec culture with the Catholic practice. Based on the belief that the souls of the departed may come back to this world on that day, people gather on the gravesites praying, drinking and playing music, to joyfully remember friends or family members who have died and to support their souls on the spiritual journey.