During this time of year, street vendors line their stands with marigolds. The flowers will adorn multi-tier ofrendas—altars full of food, calaveras (or sugar skulls), and pictures of dead loved ones. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican tradition rooted in Mesoamerican culture and Indigenous beliefs that honors the day when the souls of the deceased return to their families to celebrate. According to the Smithsonian Latino Center, the tradition dates back more than 3,000 years to rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The holiday serves as a time to uplift their spirit and their memory.