The Top 2024 New Jersey Dia De Los Muertos
(Day of the Dead) Celebrations

Day Of The Dead Celebrations. A Guide to NJ events

The best New Jersey Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebrations. Festures post-Halloween Mexican celebrations to honor the dead with music, food, and dancing.

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a two-day holiday that reunites the living and dead. It is mainly observed in Mexico where it originated, though it also observed in Catholic countries and communities, especially by people of Mexican heritage. It is a holiday for celebrating death and life, unlike any holiday where mourning is exchanged for celebration.

The holiday is traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days such as late October, may occur in New Jersey.

In the United States, Mexican celebrations like Cinco de Mayo and Day of the Dead have become common festivities, and depending on locale, they are apt to include a mix of diverse activities.

In the US, most Mexicans enjoy the fact that you are interested in their culture and want to get to know their traditions.

Because of the time of year that they are celebrated, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) should not be confused with Halloween. Day of the Dead is not the "Mexican Halloween" like it is sometimes mistaken to be because of the timing of the year. Nothing links these traditions and has nothing to do with scary costumes and scary decorations around your house.

In the USA there isn't any traditional event that resembles the Day of the Dead custom. Americans tend to be sorrowful and mourn their deceased loved ones as if being anything else would be offensive to the memory of the departed. In Mexico, they celebrate the dead with music, food, and dancing. This isn't to say that they aren't sad or that they don't miss their loved ones that are no longer with them.

The way Mexicans see it is that the dead are in a land where once a year they get the opportunity to come back to visit us and celebrate with food, drink, music, and dancing.

Popular 2024 New Jersey Dia de los Muertos
(Day of the Dead) Celebrations

Último Domingo: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Sunday, October 27, 2024 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Zimmerli Art Museum
71 Hamilton St,
New Brunswick, NJ
This event features a celebration of life, culture, and the beauty of Día de los Muertos.

Dia De Los Muertos: Day of the Dead Celebration (Washington)
Thursday, October 24, 2024; 5:30pm until 8:30pm (rain or shine)
Veterans Park
44 E. Washington Ave
Washington, NJ
Event Cost: Free & Free parking
This event features a Day of the Dead Celebration with a traditional Mariachi Band, free sugar skull face painting, artisan and local vendors, sending a message to your deceased loved ones in the fire pit and more!

Hoboken Day of The Dead Party - Dia De Muertos
November 1st, 2024
Madd Hatter Hoboken
221 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ
Cost: $19.99
This popular post-Halloween celebration, the "Hoboken Day of the Dead Fiesta," features a day filled with joyful memories that will linger in your heart for years to come. Dress to impress in your most dazzling Day of the Dead attire, whether it's a vibrant skull mask, intricate face paint, or a unique, one-of-a-kind ensemble.

Cacao Ceremony on Dia de los Muertos
Saturday, November 2, 20124: (2-4pm)
Houss Freya Apothecary
205 Glenridge ave
Montclair, NJ
Hosted by ceremonialist Daniela Miranda and author and Curanderismo practitioner, Robyn Moreno, they'll be singing and celebrations as they gather in sacred circle with cacao and cempasúchil to honor and welcome ancestors. All are welcome, so bring a photo of a loved one (person or pet!) and join us for an afternoon of beauty, joy, and remembrance.

El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Princeton
Saturday, November 2, 2024; 1 PM - 3PM
Paul Robeson Center for the Arts
102 Witherspoon Street
Princeton, NJ
Cost:free
This free family-friendly outdoor festival features a culturally rich holiday with Mariachi, dance, delicious food and hands-on projects inspired by traditional folk art. The event includes crafts inspired by traditional Mexican folk art, decorate sugar skulls, enjoy live music by Mariachi Los Tigres de Princeton,

Day of the Dead Celebration at the Riverview Farmers Market
Sunday, November 3, 2024; 10am -2pm
Riverview Park
1 Bowers St
Jersey City, NJ
This event features the Dia de Los Muertos / Days of the Dead celebration to honor lost loved ones and the authentic traditions that are part of this Mexican holiday with traditional live music and dance.