Mexican Quebecers Keep Día de Muertos Traditions Alive Amid Loss

In Boucherville, Que., an annual Day of the Dead ritual is taking on deeper meaning for Mexican-born resident Karla Frey. Every year for the past 15 years, Frey has carefully created an ofrenda — a traditional altar adorned with food, drinks, flowers, and photos of deceased loved ones. But this year, the altar reflects a fresh wound.

Two months ago, Frey’s five-year-old neighbour and his mother were killed in a car crash. The boy had been a regular visitor, eager to learn about her ofrenda. “I made it a little for him too – and his mom,” Frey said, now including their photos at the top of her altar. “I feel good when I see them over there. I’m happy.”

Día de Muertos, celebrated from late October to early November, is a ritual blending pre-Hispanic and Catholic traditions, observed primarily in Mexico. Families welcome the souls of their deceased loved ones through colourful displays of food, marigolds, sugar skulls, and incense. In Canada, especially in Quebec, Mexican diaspora communities have turned the holiday into a bridge between countries, culture, and generations.

Frey didn’t celebrate Día de Muertos growing up in Mexico City, but after moving to Quebec, she embraced the tradition as a way to process loss and stay connected to her roots. Each year, she invites friends to share memories, placing mezcal, water, and tequila on the altar — believed to refresh returning spirits. "If you don’t remember the dead," she said, "they die again, this time of sadness."

Meanwhile, in Gatineau, Que., Mexican resident Gerardo Familiar Ferrer deepened his understanding of the tradition after spending time with Indigenous communities in Oaxaca. Today, he helps organize Día de Muertos tours at UNAM-Canada, recreating symbolic spaces like caves and cemeteries for visitors to experience firsthand. “Caves are places of contact between the afterlife and the living world,” he said. The exhibition runs until Nov. 8.

In Montreal, the Día de Muertos Festival has grown into a multicultural event under the leadership of PAAL Partageons le monde. Its co-founder, Rafael Benitez, said it helped him cope with the deaths of his sister and mother. “It helped me greatly in my grieving process,” he said. The festival includes themed altars and serves as a platform for intercultural dialogue, honouring both Mexican and local Indigenous traditions.

Even with its focus on death, the holiday is far from somber. “It’s a joyful day,” Frey said with a smile. “I want my daughters to see how much I love.” She hopes that one day they’ll honour her with the same devotion.
“I’m not afraid to die… I live life to the fullest,” she added.