Published on October 20, 2025.

October! In many countries, it's the month of terror when ghosts haunt homes, demons cast shadows in the darkness and nightmares grow stronger in people’s dreams.
But what about that in Mexico? In Mexico we love all of that!

In Mexico, we LOVE horror (and that’s no joke, horror is actually one of the most profitable film genres in our cinemas). We’re fascinated by fear, by monsters, by scaring and being scared. Every family has its own terrifying story encountering ghosts, demons or facing paranormal activity.

But in Mexico, we don’t only have ghosts, no no no… we have goblins, the devil appears in unexpected places, there's a crying ghost (La Llorona), a blood-sucking creature that preys on goats (El Chupacabras, our vampires can do magic and turn into balls of fire or animals (Tlahuelpuchis), and in the old towns, the devil lurks around every corner. In short: Mexico loves horror as much as it loves tacos and that’s why October is one of the best times to visit Mexico, especially Mexico City.

In October, We have horror festivals, food inspired by death, zombie parades, ghost-themed plays, movies where wrestlers fight vampires, sweet pumpkin based treats, tours through the city's scariest streets and… you name it! Our restaurants, cafés, and plazas fill with colorful papel picado (cut paper decorations) with the shapes of skulls and skeletons, parties where Death dances with people of all kinds. Because October is all about one thing: getting ready for Día de Muertos and embracing our relationship with death.

Mexicans have a very unique bond with death: We grieve when someone we love passes, but we also laugh at death. When a Mexican has a close brush with death but survives, it becomes a story often told with humor, and sometimes even laughter. To us, death is not the end of life, but a visitor who takes us elsewhere and in her mercy, she allows us to return once a year to see our loved ones again, to watch them grow, and to share in their lives.

Interestingly, Día de Muertos isn’t actually in October, but on November 1st and 2nd. However, most of the activities, events, and preparations happen in October. That’s also when pan de muerto and the ofrendas begin to appear!

Pan de muerto is one of the most iconic elements of Mexican culture and the Día de Muertos celebration. It’s a sweet bread, flavored with orange, shaped in a round form with “bone like” decorations on top. There are many types: the classic version with sugar, pink sugar, sesame seeds instead of sugar, and even one made with ashes from corn husks (totomoxtle).

And then there are the ofrendas, the altars, which are the most iconic part of Día de Muertos. Before November 1st and 2nd, we buy cempasúchil (marigold) flowers, candles, sugar skulls, pan de muerto, and papel picado. Using these, It doesn’t matter if you were an animal, a child, or an adult, everyone can return to the Día de Muertos altar and we build these altars with photos of our deceased loved ones to guide them in their return from the afterlife to enjoy a little piece of the life we’re still living.

So, when’s the best time to experience this tradition? Without a doubt, October.

And if you want to enjoy this tradition even more, and truly dive into everything Mexico has to offer, learning Spanish will take the experience to another level.

Check out our Spanish learning programs!