Which Mexican holiday is celebrated during the opening events of Pixar’s Coco?

The Mexican holiday celebrated during the opening events of Pixar’s Coco is Día de Muertos.

Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is the cultural setting for Miguel’s journey between the living world and the Land of the Dead. The Rivera family builds an ofrenda, or home altar, and places photographs of deceased relatives there so their spirits can be welcomed during the celebration.

Día de Muertos is often mistakenly described as a Mexican version of Halloween. Although both observances can involve costumes and skeleton imagery, Día de Muertos is centered on remembrance, family, food, photographs, and continuing relationships with deceased loved ones. Coco emphasizes those family connections throughout its story.

The film uses marigolds, candles, papel picado, music, and decorated skull imagery as visual elements of the holiday. Its fictional afterlife is an imaginative narrative setting, while the family customs shown at the altar draw from real Mexican traditions.