What is Day of the Dead and how can you celebrate in the UK?

Day of the Dead (or Día de los Muertos) is celebrated from 31st - 2nd November and is most widely celebrated in Mexico. However, in recent years it’s a holiday that has been growing in popularity in the UK - and for good reason.

While the timing coincides with Halloween, Day of the Dead is far from spooky or scary: instead, it’s a joyful, spiritual time that is celebrated in Mexico as families come together to remember loved ones who have passed away with plenty of colour, feasting, festivities and parades. Think streets adorned with marigold flowers, elaborate altars festooned with favourite foods and mementos, and of course those iconic sugar skulls. 

It’s a beautiful and joyful tradition that has spread its colourful wings to other parts of the world, including the UK: in London in particular, restaurants and bars have thrown open their doors to host Day of the Dead parties themselves. 

If you’re looking to host your own, it couldn’t be easier (or a better excuse to bring tacos, margaritas, and plenty of bright colour and celebration to your office for the day).

Hire a taco truck for your office

Find us someone that doesn’t like tacos - we dare you. Trust us, your team will love you if you hire a taco truck to pull up to the office. The Tacoman brings both style and substance, slinging California style tacos from a converted 1970s Citroën HY van. They’re all about providing a bespoke service and are happy to chat unusual or personalised flavour combos, and they use soft corn tacos so all their dishes are gluten free.

Throw a Day of the Dead dinner party at home

Why not take the party home with you too? You can go all out on decor, including sugar skulls, flowers, and colourful picado (paper banners), and bring in one of our Mexican suppliers or even a private chef to conjure up a Mexican feast including tamales, mole and pan de muerto - a sweet treat commonly served at Day of the Dead celebrations. Of course, no Mexican inspired dinner party is complete without margaritas, and we suggest looking into mobile bars to bring a little flair to your event. 

Stuck at work? Bring burritos for a working lunch

For a lunchtime celebration, you can’t go far wrong with burritos. Rico Burrito come highly recommended by our team, with burritos and burrito bowls that are not only delicious but are designed to be eaten on the go - perfect for busy colleagues in the middle of the work day. Burritos might be one of the most versatile options for Mexican office catering, with flavours like chimichurri chicken, BBQ chipotle beef, grilled halloumi and jackfruit carnitas meaning that dietary requirements of all kinds are more than catered for.

We think Day of the Dead will only get bigger over the next few years - so why not get ahead of the trend now with a Day of the Dead themed celebration this year? You can enquire here to start chatting tacos, margs and pan de muerto.