What flowers are used for day of the dead?

Ubish Yaren

Chef, Podcaster and Stand up comedian, born and raised in Mexico City, tour guide since 2015 and his favorite taco is barbacoa.

Table of Contents

The Day of the Dead is a holiday from October 31st to November 2nd. It’s intended to honor those who have passed away. While it may not be a festive occasion, there are many beautiful traditions associated with this Day, including the use of flowers.

1. Marigold flower

Marigolds are used to represent the sun. They’re also very symbolic flowers representing love, happiness, and joy. Marigolds are used to decorate altars during Day of the Dead celebrations and homes and cemeteries in Mexico.

Marigold flowers are also placed on graves or near them for good luck and for loved ones who have passed away.

Chrysanthemum flower: Known as “Golden Flowers” in Mexico, chrysanthemums are also a symbol of love and remembrance during this season.

2. Chrysanthemum 

The chrysanthemum is a popular flower used for the Day of the Dead. This flower has several meanings, including death and rebirth, courage, wealth, prosperity, and celebration.

 The chrysanthemum represents many things to many people because each culture may assign a different meaning to this plant. For example, in Japan, it’s believed that if you’re brave enough to look into a chrysanthemum’s eyes without flinching first, then you will become rich!

Chrysanthemum for day of dead mexico city

3. Baby’s breath flower

Baby’s breath flower: The baby’s breath flower symbolizes purity, friendship, and love.

Baby's breath flower - day of dead

4. Orchid 

The orchid flower is a symbol of love. Orchids are plants that grow in tropical climates worldwide, including in the Philippines and Mexico. Their beautiful flowers have been used for centuries to symbolize beauty, purity, longevity, and prosperity. 

These delicate flowers also represent friendship and compassion because they are known to bloom even after being uprooted from their native soil.

Orchid day of dead

5. Red rose.

Red roses are a popular flower for Day of the Dead celebrations. Red is a color used to symbolize love and passion in Mexico, so it’s not surprising that red roses often show up in bouquets or at ceremonies during this celebration.

red roses day of dead

While red roses are often used as symbols of love and passion, they can also represent other emotions—like anger or sadness. Suppose you want to get through a rough time with your loved one. If you don’t know what to say or do, giving them a bouquet of red roses might help you communicate your feelings without saying anything!

6. Carnation flower

  • Carnation flower: The carnation, associated with love since ancient times, is an important component of the Day of the Dead ceremonies. Carnations are used to decorate altars and gravesites.

Carnation flower day of dead

7. Daisy

Daisy day of dead

The daisies are another important symbol in the Day of the Dead celebrations; it represents purity and innocence and happiness and immortality. 

For the Day of the Dead, daisies also symbolize innocence and purity. They also represent the sun, which is a symbol of life. Daisies are also used to describe summer, a symbolic season of rebirth. Daisy flowers are also used as a symbol for Virgin Mary because she is known as “the flower of heaven.”

In Mexico, there are many different colors for this flower. White (which means purity), pink (which means beauty), yellow (which means joy), orange (which means happiness), purple/blue (which means peace), etc.

8. Daffodil flower

Daffodils are simply beautiful. They’re bright and cheerful, with a delicate yellow center surrounded by large petals that look like trumpets. Traditionally, the daffodil represents rebirth, but it can also signify youthfulness or springtime (the season of new beginnings).

You can use daffodils to decorate your altar or as an offering to the dead. 

9. Lilies flower

Lilies have always been associated with purity and innocence. In addition, they’re often used to represent the afterlife or heaven—a reminder that even though death is inevitable in this world, it’s not the end of everything.

Lilies have been associated with funerals since ancient times; this association has carried into modern-day Mexico. Families often use flowers during Day of the Dead celebrations to honor their loved ones who have passed away.

10. Wallflower flower

The wallflower is a plant that is used in the Day of the Dead. Wallflowers grow on walls and rocks, growing in deserts, mountains, and forests. In spring, they are white; in summer, they are pink; in autumn, they’re purple; and in winter, they are yellow.

11. Various flowers are used in the Day of the Dead ceremonies.

A variety of different flowers are used in Day of the Dead ceremonies. The Aztecs and the Mayans used a wide range of flowers for their rituals, including

  • Roses symbolizing love and life.
  • Marigolds, meaning death.
  • Carnations, representing grief, sorrow, and pain (but also hope).

People have recently begun using more modern flowers like lilies to decorate their altars and graves during Day of the Dead celebrations. However, you’ll still find some traditional offerings such as marigolds mixed in with these newer ones because they’re considered good luck charms!

Here are some flowers we have mentioned to you that can be used on the Day of the Dead. What’s important is remembering those who passed away because they will always live on in our hearts! 

Now that you know the flowers that are used on the Day of the Dead, you can live this incredible experience thanks to the Mexico Underground’s Day of the Dead tour. 

This tour will bring you to one of the most important practices in Mexico, not just to know the origin of the Mexican culture but also the magic behind it. This is the perfect way to learn and enjoy this wonderful tradition. Book here!

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