Somewhere in the vibrant chaos of Tepito — one of Mexico City’s most notorious neighborhoods — there’s a quiet corner that draws people in like a spiritual magnet. Candles flicker, skulls glimmer in the dim light, and offerings of tequila, cigarettes, and candy pile up around a robed skeletal figure. This is La Santa Muerte, the “Saint of Death,” and she’s unlike anything you’ve seen in a Catholic church.

Forget what you think you know about death. In Mexico, it’s not something to fear — it’s something to celebrate. Every year from October 31st to November 2nd, the country bursts into color, scent, sound, and memory for what might be the most magical holiday on the planet: Día de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead.