You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 2.11
This Stoic reflection on life’s impermanence is called Memento Mori, Latin for “remember you will die.” It’s a reminder not to take life for granted and not to waste energy on things beyond your control. But it’s not just a thought for deep thinkers sitting alone in contemplation—this idea is woven into cultures around the world.
Day of the Dead
From European paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries to Tibetan masks to vibrant Mexican festivals, different cultures embrace death in their own way.
One of the most well-known traditions is Mexico’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a festival Don Winslow references in his novel The Power of the Dog:
It’s the Day of the Dead. Big day in Mexico. The tradition goes back to Aztec times and honors the goddess Mictecacihuatl, “Lady of the Dead,” but the Spanish priests cleaned it up and moved it from midsummer to autumn to make it coincide with All Hallow’s Eve and All Souls’ Day.
Winslow goes on to describe Mexico’s unique view on death:
The Mexicans, they don’t mind talking about death… They don’t try to keep it at arm’s length. They’re tight with death, intimate with it. They keep their dead close to them. On El Día de los Muertos, the living go to visit the dead. They cook elaborate dishes and take them to the cemeteries and sit down and share a nice meal with their dearly departed.
His protagonist, Art Keller, a DEA agent struggling with his divorce and family life, reflects on this:
Shit, Art thinks, I’d like to share a nice meal with my living family. They live in the same city, occupy the same physical space and time, and yet somehow we’re all on separate planes of existence.
This is Memento Mori in action—not just a reminder that life is short, but a call to live fully and cherish the time we have with loved ones.
Festival de Calaveras
While Día de los Muertos is celebrated across Mexico, different regions have their own variations. In Aguascalientes, the Festival de Calaveras (Festival of Skulls) has been held since 1994. It combines Día de los Muertos traditions with a tribute to José Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican printmaker famous for his skeletal artwork.
Posada’s work was a constant reminder of death, captured in his quote:
Todos somos calaveras — We are all skeletons.
A similar sentiment is echoed by the Stoic philosopher Epictetus, as referenced by Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations (4.41):
You are a little soul carrying around a corpse.
Both remind us that no matter how different our lives are, we all share the same fate.
Posada’s skull-themed prints often accompanied calaveras literarias—short, humorous poems resembling tombstone epitaphs that playfully mock the living. These compositions further demonstrate the close, even jovial, association to death of those celebrating the Day of the Dead.
After reading some examples, you might even have some fun trying it yourself:
Mezcal Worm
No more will he burrow
No more will he squirm.
He’s not underground,
Which is bad for a worm.
But don’t be too sad,
Let no frown cloud your face.
Believe me, he’s gone to a happier place.
La Calavera Catrina
One of the most famous icons of Día de los Muertos is La Calavera Catrina, originally created by Posada as Calavera Garbancera, a skeleton wearing an elegant European-style hat. It satirized Mexicans who imitated European fashion, forgetting their roots.
Later, Diego Rivera featured Catrina in his 1947 mural Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park, cementing her as a symbol of Día de los Muertos. Today, her image is everywhere—painted faces, sculptures, and decorations all celebrate her legacy.
Embracing Life Through Death
Skulls, poems, festivals, and murals—many cultures go to great lengths to remind themselves of death while honoring the dead. But instead of being grim, the celebrations are joyful, colorful, and full of life.
Memento Mori isn’t about fearing death. It’s about remembering that life is fleeting, so we should make the most of it. Enjoy the time you have. And don’t wait until it’s too late to share a meal with the people who matter.
