La Catrina — Mexico’s Elegant Reminder That Death Has No Class

As October unfolds, we begin to see Puerto Morelos and the rest of Mexico transform. Markets fill with bright orange cempasúchil flowers, and families start preparing their ofrendas — the beautiful altars built to honor loved ones.
Among all these sights, one figure always stands out

Woman dressed as La Catrina wearing a wide-brimmed hat and intricate face paint.
With her elaborate hat and graceful poise, La Catrina reminds us that dignity transcends life and death.


La Catrina— tall, graceful, and unmistakably elegant. Her feathered hat, her knowing smile, her skeletal face painted with beauty rather than fear — she seems to embody both life and death at once. But who exactly is she, and what story does she tell?

From Satire to Symbol

La Catrina didn’t start as a fashion icon. She was born from social satire. Around 1910, the printmaker José Guadalupe Posada sketched a skeleton wearing nothing more than a fancy European-style hat.

Original 1910 illustration of La Calavera Garbancera by José Guadalupe Posada.

He called her La Calavera Garbancera, mocking those who denied their Indigenous roots and tried to appear European — people who, in Posada’s view, were ashamed of where they came from.


The word garbancera came from the sellers of chickpeas — garbanzos — who often looked down on their own culture while trying to imitate the European elite. Posada’s message was biting: Beneath the elegant hat, we are all the same skeleton. No wealth, fashion, or pretense changes that.


Diego Rivera and the birth of a name.

Diego Rivera’s mural “Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central,” featuring La Catrina.
Rivera’s 1947 mural transformed Posada’s skeletal lady into a national symbol of identity and equality.

A few decades later, muralist Diego Rivera brought La Calavera Garbancera back to life — or death, depending how we see it.


In his 1947 mural Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central, he gave Posada’s skeleton a full body, a lavish gown, and a name: La Catrina.

Central section of Diego Rivera’s mural featuring La Catrina holding hands with a young Diego Rivera.


The word catrín in Spanish means “a well-dressed gentleman,” and catrina its feminine form. Rivera placed her hand-in-hand with a young version of himself and on the arm of her original creator José Guadalupe Posada, turning her into something greater — a symbol of Mexico itself, proud and self-aware, no longer mocking but embracing its layered identity.

Experience Her Spirit in Puerto Morelos

Here in Puerto Morelos, we don’t just tell La Catrina’s story — we bring it to life. In the days leading up to Día de Muertos, you’ll see her grace local plazas, school parades, and art displays throughout town.

Decorative Catrina skull with colorful flowers during Día de Muertos celebrations in Puerto Morelos.
From city streets to small towns, La Catrina’s colorful spirit fills Mexico each October.
Performers dressed as La Catrina dancing during Día de Muertos celebrations in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.
In Puerto Morelos, La Catrina takes center stage as music, dance, and tradition fill the streets each October.
Parade performers dressed as colorful Catrinas waving to the crowd in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.
Bright costumes, laughter, and tradition bring La Catrina to life during Puerto Morelos’ Día de Muertos parade.
In Puerto Morelos, Mexico, the streets come alive each October with vibrant parades celebrating La Catrina. Performers dressed in vivid costumes and ornate skull masks dance and wave to the crowd, transforming satire into joy. What began as a social critique by José Guadalupe Posada now thrives as a beloved community celebration — honoring ancestors, culture, and the colorful spirit that defines Mexico’s Día de Muertos.
In Puerto Morelos, La Catrina’s vibrant attire reflects the joy and reverence woven into Día de Muertos traditions.

When You See Her

So when you walk through Puerto Morelos this season and see a Catrina painted on a wall or gliding through the streets in a parade, you’re not just seeing a decoration. You’re witnessing a century-old conversation between Mexico’s past and present — between Indigenous roots and colonial history, between mortality and art.

La Catrina invites us all, locals and visitors alike, to remember that dignity doesn’t come from how we appear, but from how we live — and how we honor those who came before us.