Monarchs
Each year, right around Día de Muertos, millions of monarch butterflies arrive like clockwork to the misty mountains of central Mexico. Their appearance during this sacred time holds deep meaning for the communities of Michoacán and the State of Mexico, where the butterflies are seen as the returning souls of ancestors visiting the living.
For generations, the Purépecha and Mazahua peoples, two Indigenous groups native to this region, have watched the skies fill with these migrating monarchs, their wings shimmering like a flowing river of orange and gold across the Sierra Madre hills. The butterflies’ arrival has been carefully observed since pre-Hispanic times, marking a spiritual moment when nature and the human spirit move in harmony.
According to oral traditions, the spirits of the departed return on the butterflies’ delicate wings, joining their loved ones during Día de Muertos to celebrate life’s continuity. In the Purépecha language, the butterfly is called Parákata, symbolizing the eternal connection between the living and those who came before.
Today, the guardians of the monarchs and their forest sanctuaries are the Indigenous and communal farming communities, primarily the Mazahua and Purépecha peoples, who live in and around the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Much of this forest is collectively owned and managed by ejidos, or communal farms. These communities work as local guides and forest rangers (guardabosques), caring for the land, protecting the monarchs’ overwintering sites, and preserving the sacred balance between people, nature, and spirit.
The return of the monarchs is more than a migration, it is a living tradition, a reminder that love, memory, and the natural world are forever intertwined.
Marigolds
A cherished and radiant symbol on every ofrenda and gravesite during Día de Muertos is the Cempasúchil (Marigold). The Aztecs believe its radiant color and earthy scent help souls return to celebrate life alongside us.
The name Cempasúchil comes from the Nahuatl word Cempohualxochitl, meaning “flower of twenty petals” or “many petals.” Blooming after the rainy season across the hills of Mexico’s Central Valley, this golden flower brightens the landscape from late September through November, just in time for Día de Muertos.
There are about 35 species of Cempasúchil in Mexico, all part of the marigold family (Tagetes erecta). Known for their tall stems (up to three feet), vibrant orange and yellow hues, and a distinct scent that comes from their leaves and stems, these flowers are long-lasting and full of seeds.
In Mexico, you won’t find true Cempasúchil in pots, they’re sold in beautiful, freshly cut bunches, gathered directly from the fields.