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[[File:Posada Lagartijo.jpeg|thumb|Lagartijo (Dandy) by José Guadalupe Posada.]]Mexico's counterpart to Halloween, the Day of the Dead, corresponds to the [[Catholic]] holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on Nov. 1–2. In the English speaking world, these holidays were suppressed during the Reformation. As a result, traditions associated with them have transferred to Halloween.

[[File:Posada Lagartijo.jpeg|thumb|Lagartijo (Dandy) by José Guadalupe Posada.]]Mexico's counterpart to Halloween, the Day of the Dead, corresponds to the [[Catholic]] holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on Nov. 1–2. In the English speaking world, these holidays were suppressed during the Reformation. As a result, traditions associated with them have transferred to Halloween.

Scholars argue that the skeletons, skulls and the other morbid imagery of the Day of the Dead originated with the ''danse macabre'' of the Renaissance. Spanish painter Francisco Goya (1746 - 1828) and Mexican illustrator José Guadalupe Posada (1851 - 1913) helped revive this style. Unaware of this history, modern Mexicans generally see the holiday as an aspect of their Aztec heritage.<ref name="Gonzales">Gonzales, Agustin Sanchez, "[https://relatosehistorias.mx/nuestras-historias/dia-de-muertos-tradicion-prehispanica-o-invencion-del-siglo-xx Día de muertos, ¿Tradición prehispánica o invención del siglo XX?], ''2 Relatos Históricos de México'', Nov. 2, 2007.</ref>

The skeletons, skulls and the other morbid imagery of the Day of the Dead are based on the illustrations of Mexican cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada (1851 - 1913). His style was influenced by Spanish painter Francisco Goya (1746 - 1828). Unaware of this history, modern Mexicans generally see the holiday as an aspect of their Aztec heritage.<ref name="Gonzales">Gonzales, Agustin Sanchez, "[https://relatosehistorias.mx/nuestras-historias/dia-de-muertos-tradicion-prehispanica-o-invencion-del-siglo-xx Día de muertos, ¿Tradición prehispánica o invención del siglo XX?], ''2 Relatos Históricos de México'', Nov. 2, 2007.</ref>

The celebration of the Day of the Dead has come to symbolize national unity. Even though the festival has always had materialistic elements such as the sugar paste ''afteniqué'' figures, traditionally given to children, cultural nationalists have upheld the Mexican Day of the Dead religious rituals as a contrast to the economic and materialist motives behind American Halloween traditions. These cultural nationalists insist that Halloween activities, which have entered across Mexico's northern border, profaning Day of the Dead celebration.<ref>Brandes, Stanley, "The Day of the Dead, Halloween, and the Quest for Mexican National Identity," ''Journal of American Folklore'' 1998 111(442): 359-380, [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=96430235 in QUESTIA]</ref>

The celebration of the Day of the Dead has come to symbolize national unity. Even though the festival has always had materialistic elements such as the sugar paste ''afteniqué'' figures, traditionally given to children, cultural nationalists have upheld the Mexican Day of the Dead religious rituals as a contrast to the economic and materialist motives behind American Halloween traditions. These cultural nationalists insist that Halloween activities, which have entered across Mexico's northern border, profaning Day of the Dead celebration.<ref>Brandes, Stanley, "The Day of the Dead, Halloween, and the Quest for Mexican National Identity," ''Journal of American Folklore'' 1998 111(442): 359-380, [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=96430235 in QUESTIA]</ref>