Monarchs coincidentally reach Mexico on Dia de los Muertos. The alignment of Monarch migration with Day of the Dead celebrations forges a special connection between the two. Monarch butterflies are thought to represent the souls of the deceased, who return to Mexico to celebrate Day of the Dead. Preserving monarch butterfly populations (by breeding them and planting milkweed) is not only an environmental measure, but a cultural one. Preserving monarch butterfly populations allows for the continuance of this crucial connection between living and dead in Mexican culture. Both the monarch migration and Dia de los Muertos remind us that life is cyclical; both souls and butterflies will return year after year.

Content for this page was contributed by Caroline Waters, Somewhere undergraduate dramaturg.