Those who know me the best can attest to the fact that I really love to host gatherings with our friends and family! From planning the menu to picking out the decor; I enjoy every single second of it. If I had to pick a favorite season of the year to entertain though it would have to be fall! The flowers, the produce, the crisp air – I just can’t get enough. Let’s face it, fall has the best holidays too…case in point Diá de los Muertos! I love the traditions and sentiments behind this special holiday and am so excited to share with you the Day of the Dead feast we had at our home this year with our friends Kate and Aida!

We all took part in creating dishes for the feast; we decorated an altar for our loved ones who have passed with photos, mementos and traditional flowers like marigolds and roses. The entire day was full of meaningful conversation and lots of laughter as we swapped stories about our loved ones (both the special people in our lives today as well as those who’ve already left us).

Although I have always loved the sentiment behind the Day of the Dead festivities I never had much knowledge of the true history of the holiday that I enjoy so much. I knew there were feasts; I knew there were sugar skulls, marigolds and altars, but why?

Throughout the process of planning the feast, Kate shared with me little nuggets of inspiration to answer all of my questions- it was such a beautiful window into her family’s culture; even in death, celebrating life. Her stories really inspired me to give serious thought and focus to each and every detail.

Let’s start with the menu:
Whether your Day of the Dead feast is large or small, you are going to need a few fabulous recipes to feed your friends and family! It is common during Day of the Dead festivities to place decadent dishes, drinks (even cocktails) and treats on altars for the souls that have made their long journey back home from the other side. This feast had a little something for everyone and was one of the most incredible meals I have had in a long time! Over the next few weeks I will be adding the links to the recipes below as they go live on our sites, so keep an eye out for them.