How to Plan for a Dia de los Muertos Party

Dia de los Muertos is just two weeks away! Time to start planning how you'll celebrate it this year. After Halloween night, this Mexican holiday is all about welcoming back the souls of loved ones for a brief reunion filled with delicious food, drinks, vibrant decorations, and good times. 

Dia de los Muertos/All Souls Day/ Day of the Dead

Dia de los Muertos, celebrated November 1-2, is a holiday that blends Mesoamerican ritual, European religion, and Spanish culture. It's a time when the spirit world reunites with families and friends for a colorful celebration. 

This year, my friend and I are throwing our very first Dia de los Muertos tea party for friends and family. Tea parties are also about getting together with loved ones, so we thought a Dia de los Muertos-themed tea party would be pretty unique and special.

Credits: Trendy Architecture

Tablescape

Dia de los Muertos is a vibrant affair and your table should also reflect that. Our tablescape will be decorated with talavera tableware. Talavera is a high-quality, decorative pottery. They are known for their vibrant colors and intricate designs. You can find cups, plates and other tableware essentials in this style. 

Credits: Faire, Ibarra Imports, Pinterest

Table Decor

Aside from the cups and plates, your table has room for Dia de los Muertos decorations. Talavera style vases can be beautiful floral centerpieces adorned with bouquets of Cempusachil (marigold) flowers. 

Colorful tablecloths and skull-shaped napkin holders also add to the festivities. Monarch butterfly decorations can be added to both your table and altar for a natural detail. It is believed Monarchs hold the spirits of the departed.

Credits: Pinterest

You can sprinkle candles and sacred heart-shaped trinkets as both table and altar decor. I've been lucky to find talented artists and vendors on Instagram and Etsy for beautifully intricate shaped candles. I love to support artists and small businesses.

Credits: La Bruja del Mar Shop, Instagram

Credits: Pinterest

Cempasuchil (marigold) garlands with hanging lights is another way to add color and warmth to your table setup. The flower itself is a symbolic decoration used to attract the spirits to the altar.

Credits: Pinterest, Marcela Valladolid

The Altar 

Families set up altars with photos of loved ones who have passed, and they welcome their spirits in with all their favorite foods and drinks. They include the four elements: water, wind, earth and fire. Besides photos, you'll see candles that represent fire and guide the spirits of loved ones to the altar. Papel picado (paper banners) represent the wind and decorate the edges of the altar. The food represents the earth and water filled pitchers quench the spirit's thirst from their journey.

Credits: Pinterest

The calaveras (skulls) are also prominently seen as symbols that portray our loved ones. The most common way to showcase all the elements is with a three level stand. It is meant to represent heaven, earth and the underworld.

Credits: Pinterest

Food

Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) is a staple for el Dia de los Muertos. You'll usually see it on altars, but you can also eat it or dip it in some hot coffee or chocolate.  

Credits: Postres Mariana, Pinterest

Decorative ceramic or sugar skulls are a fun element to add to the presentation of food.

Credits: Pinterest-SarahScoop

Consider adding a Día de los Muertos charcuterie board with decorative sugar skulls.

Drinks

For your Day of the Dead tea party, you can offer some yummy traditional drinks like hot chocolate, atole, champurrado, and different tequila and mezcal cocktails. Instead of regular tea, try serving hot chocolate or atole. Atole is a tasty corn-based drink made with masa, water, unrefined cane sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Of course, you can also have hot teas on the menu, with flavors like pumpkin spice, guava or orange!

Credits: Monin

We'll have themed mocktails and cocktails that are tequila or mezcal-based, like Palomas and Margaritas, to keep with the Mexican tradition. There are tons of Dia de los Muertos drink recipes on Instagram and Pinterest these days!

We haven’t personally tried these recipes and are only suggesting what we've come across in our search for cocktail recipes. Please share your experience or recipe that you like:

Instagram - Kandy Cocktail

Credits: Lolas Cocina

Dia de los Muertos is a special holiday to celebrate with family and friends. Similar to tea parties, it’s about getting together and sharing a loving experience. We hope our tips, suggestions and links inspire you to plan for a unique and special Dia de los Muertos-themed tea party. We'll share photos from our upcoming Dia de los Muertos themed tea party on our Instagram page. Share your experiences and what worked for you when planning your event. We'd love to hear from you!

*We are not sponsored or affiliated by any vendors or links mentioned in the blog.