Mexico's Day of the Dead, which is celebrated on November 1 and 2, has its origins in ancient pre-Hispanic cultures.

For this holiday homes and cementeries are adorned with offerings to the souls of the deceased, who are expected to return from the "Mictlan", the "place where the dead live."

In a country where the memory of dozens of different pre-Hispanic cultures is still strong, ceremonies and rituals can be slightly different from town to town.

For instance, in the state of Quintana Roo, where the Mayan culture reached its splendor, people celebrate the “Hanal Pixan,” in which children's souls are received with colored candles, flowers, sweets, food and toys.

Mexicans also evoke "La Catrina," a female figure who emerged as a mockery of those Mexicans who despise their indigenous culture when they get rich.

For about a hundred years, she has become a widely spread identity symbol which women of all ages carry with pride.