Day of the Dead 2021 Forever Stamps — Día de los Muertos, Pane of 20

Issue facts

Value: 66¢ 1-ounce First-Class rate (Forever)
Issue Date: September 30, 2021
First Day City: El Paso, TX
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Pane of 20

What the holiday is

Mexico's Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is not a day of mourning. It is a celebration of the people who have died. The observance varies by region and has changed over time, but color and good humor are constant.

How it is kept

Tradition holds that on November 1 and 2 the spirits of the dead can return to their families, and the celebrations exist to guide them home. Families clean and decorate gravesites with ofrendas — altars carrying personal keepsakes alongside traditional objects such as sugar skulls.

Altars go up in homes as well, laid with tamales, candied pumpkin, pan de muerto and drinks. The belief is that the spirits take the essence of the food and the family eats what remains. Pillows and blankets are left out so the dead can rest after the journey. People trade happy memories and compose calaveras literarias — short, light-hearted verses that may be written about the dead or about the living.

Contemporary celebrations have added large street parades, with participants costumed as brightly painted skeletons, and they now take place in several major U.S. cities as well as across Mexico.

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