In Mexico, no festival or celebration is complete without the colorful punched-paper banners known as papel picado. As Tucson gears up for its annual Cinco de Mayo celebration, bright banners of papel picado will undoubtedly decorate many locations.

XOCHIMILCO, Mexico — Mexican artisans are struggling to preserve the traditional manufacture of paper cut-out decorations long used in altars for the Day of the Dead. Defying increasingly popular mass-production techniques, second-generation paper cutter ...

During Día de los Muertos, they are used to symbolize the impermanent nature of life. Typically, yellow and purple pieces of papel picado are favored around the holiday to represent mourning and hope, and some believe that spirits can pass through the holes in the tissue paper as they move between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead.

Mexican artisans are struggling to preserve the traditional manufacture of paper cut-out decorations long used in altars for the Day of the Dead. Defying increasingly popular mass-production techniques, second-generation paper cutter Yuridia Torres Alfaro ...

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, which happens this weekend, is celebrated in communities across the U.S. The primarily Mexican holiday is rooted in the belief that the veil between the mortal and immortal worlds thins, allowing deceased spirits to cross over to the living world to be with loved ones.

HOUSTON, Texas -- Papel picado, or punched paper, is a Mexican art form with a rich history. It is made by skillful artisans using tissue paper, a hammer, and chisels. Guadalupe Hernandez, a Houston artist, has made it his mission to preserve this tradition.

This altar was among the 11 ofrendas honoring people who have died, at the Dia de Muertos event in 2021 at The Nave in Anchorage. The 2025 Dia de Muertos celebration in Anchorage has shifted to at-home commemorations and a video tribute at the Anchorage Museum. (Marc Lester / ADN archive)

Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a vibrant festival that honors those who have passed, blending ancient Aztec rituals with Catholic traditions into a celebration that unites families and communities across Mexico.