Day of the Dead 2026, Día de los Muertos, is on Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2, 2026. November 1 is traditionally set aside for children who have died and November 2 for adults, and many families start preparing their altars in the last days of October.
The dates line up with two Catholic feast days, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, and the celebration is best known from Mexico, where UNESCO recognizes it as intangible cultural heritage. This guide covers when the Day of the Dead 2026 falls, what each day is for, the basics of an ofrenda, how it differs from Halloween, whether it is a public holiday, and the dates through 2030.
When is the Day of the Dead 2026?
Unlike lunar festivals, Día de los Muertos keeps the same calendar dates every year: November 1 and 2. In 2026 that is a Sunday and a Monday, so the first day falls on a weekend and the second on a workday and school day in most places.
Counting from today, October 6, 2026, the first day is 26 days away, or three weeks and five days. The live Día de los Muertos countdown tracks it to the day.
| Date | Weekday | Traditionally remembered | Church feast |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 31, 2026 | Saturday | Altars set up in many homes | All Hallows’ Eve |
| November 1, 2026 | Sunday | Children (often called angelitos, “little angels”) | All Saints’ Day |
| November 2, 2026 | Monday | Adults | All Souls’ Day |
Customs vary from region to region and family to family. In some communities the preparations and specific days for particular groups of the dead begin earlier in late October, so treat this as the common pattern rather than a fixed rule.
What the two days mean
The core idea is that the souls of the dead return for a short visit, and the living welcome them home. UNESCO’s description says Indigenous communities believe deceased relatives come back at the end of October and the beginning of November, and families prepare food, flowers and candles to receive them.
November 1 coincides with All Saints’ Day, when the Catholic Church honors all saints, and in Mexico it is commonly dedicated to children who have died. November 2 is All Souls’ Day, the church’s day of prayer for all the faithful departed, and it is the day for adults. The celebration as it is practiced today is generally described as a blend of pre-Hispanic traditions and these Catholic feasts.
Families often visit cemeteries during these days to clean and decorate graves, bring food and music, and spend time together. UNESCO also notes that the festivity marks the end of the annual maize-growing cycle.
Ofrenda basics
The ofrenda, or offering, is a home altar for the people being remembered. There is no single correct design, but materials from Mexico’s public education system list the same core elements again and again:
- Photographs of the people being honored.
- Cempasúchil (Mexican marigold) flowers, whose color and scent are said to guide the souls to the altar. Petals are often scattered to make a path.
- Candles to light the way home.
- Water to quench the thirst of souls after their long journey, and salt.
- Pan de muerto, the sweet bread of the season, along with the person’s favorite foods and drinks.
- Papel picado (cut tissue paper), copal incense and sugar skulls (calaveras).
Many families set the altar up before October 31 and leave it in place through November 2. If you are making one for the first time, start with a photo, a candle, water and a few things the person loved; that is the heart of it.
UNESCO heritage status
UNESCO lists the “Indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead” from Mexico on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It was first proclaimed in 2003 and inscribed on the Representative List in 2008. The listing describes the festivity as it is practiced by Indigenous communities in Mexico, not the large public parades that some cities have added in recent years.
How the Day of the Dead differs from Halloween
The two fall back to back, with Halloween on Saturday, October 31, 2026, and they share skull imagery and a link to the same church feasts. But they are different celebrations:
- Tone: Halloween leans on fright and fun. Día de los Muertos is a remembrance of specific loved ones, warm and often festive, but not about being scared.
- Dates: Halloween is one night, October 31. Day of the Dead covers November 1 and 2.
- Customs: costumes and trick-or-treating on one side; altars, marigolds, food for the dead and cemetery visits on the other.
For the Halloween side of the weekend, including the clock change at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, see the Halloween countdown and our daylight saving time guide.
Is the Day of the Dead a public holiday?
In Mexico, November 2 is not one of the mandatory paid rest days listed in Article 74 of the Federal Labor Law, so most private-sector employers are not required to give the day off. Schools and public offices may close; check the official school calendar or your employer. The national public holidays for the year are on the Mexico holidays 2026 page.
In the United States, the Day of the Dead is not a federal holiday, and offices, banks and schools keep normal hours on Monday, November 2, 2026. It is widely celebrated in Mexican-American communities with altars, exhibits and community events, whose dates are set by local organizers. The next federal holiday is Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, and Election Day follows on Tuesday, November 3; see the Election Day 2026 guide.
Day of the Dead dates, 2026 to 2030
| Year | November 1 (children) | November 2 (adults) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday | Monday |
| 2027 | Monday | Tuesday |
| 2028 | Wednesday | Thursday |
| 2029 | Thursday | Friday |
| 2030 | Friday | Saturday |
2030 is the most weekend-friendly year in this stretch, with the adults’ day on a Saturday. The November 2026 calendar shows the dates alongside the rest of the month.
Frequently asked questions
When is Day of the Dead 2026?
Día de los Muertos 2026 is on Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2, 2026. Many families set up their altars a few days before.
Is Day of the Dead on November 1 or November 2?
Both. November 1 is traditionally for children who have died and November 2 for adults, matching All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Is the Day of the Dead the same as Halloween?
No. Halloween is October 31 and centers on costumes and trick-or-treating. The Day of the Dead follows on November 1 and 2 and is a time to remember and welcome back loved ones who have died.
When did UNESCO recognize the Day of the Dead?
Mexico’s Indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2003 and inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.
Is November 2 a holiday in Mexico?
It is not a mandatory paid rest day under Mexico’s Federal Labor Law, though some schools and public offices close. In the US it is not a federal holiday.
What goes on a Day of the Dead altar?
Common elements are photos of the dead, marigolds, candles, water, salt, pan de muerto, favorite foods, papel picado and copal incense.