ILLUSTRATIONS: SUNNYFROG/SHUTTERSTOCK, ENCHANTED-GLASS/GETTY, TOP VECTOR ELEMENTS/SHUTTERSTOCK
The cempasúchil, or Mexican marigold, is a symbol of the festival. One legend has it that an Aztec girl mourning for her lover killed in battle was turned into the flower by the sun god, while the warrior came back as a hummingbird.
One universal foodstuff at the festival is pan de muerto: this sugary pastry is topped by crossed strips resembling bones. Its round shape symbolises the cycle of life and death.