The Monarch butterflies arrive at their winter home in Mexico each fall by the first of November during the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos).

According to traditional belief, the monarchs are the souls of ancestors who are returning to Earth for their annual visit.For the Aztecs, these winged creatures were associated with Mictecacihuatl, the goddess of the underworld and protector of the dead.

This belief established a profound symbolic connection between butterflies and the transition between life and death.

The symbolic connection between butterflies and the spirits of the deceased adds a deep spiritual and emotional dimension to one of Mexico’s most emblematic festivities