Hollowed-out eyes, stitched mouths, and intricate flower wreaths are some of the distinctive markings of La Calavera Catrina—known more simply as La Catrina, “the elegant skull”—a cultural ...

La Catrina's vacuously grinning skull fell inevitably into the role of literal and metaphorical poster child for the Day of the Dead, symbolizing the joy of life in the face of its inevitable end.