Hand carved and painted bone Day of the Dead lapel pin. Better known as Dia De Los Muertos, a celebratory holiday to remember the dead. A blend of Mesoamerican ritual, European religion and Spanish culture, the holiday dates back some 3,000 years, to the rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Death was seen as an integral, ever-present part of life.

On the Day of the Dead, it’s believed that the border between the spirit world and the real world dissolves. During this brief period, the souls of the dead awaken and return to the living world to feast, drink, dance and play music with their loved ones. In turn, the living family members treat the deceased as honored guests in their celebrations, and leave the deceased’s favorite foods and other offerings at gravesites or on the ofrendas built in their homes.