Yes, Día de los Muertos – Day of the Dead – is celebrated with representations of skeletons and skulls. And yes, it happens to come right after Halloween.

But no, it’s not meant to be creepy or scary. Instead, it is a joyous reunion, a time to commune with the spirits of loved ones who have died.

According to Rosalía Angulo, a local Mexican cultural artist, the celebration originated in the Aztec Empire in what is now Mexico, before the conquistadors came from Spain. Millions of migrating monarch butterflies begin arriving in Mexico this time of year, and the Aztecs believed they were the souls of the departed coming to visit.

When Europeans arrived, they added Catholic ideas and traditions to the celebrations, and the holiday began to spread throughout Latin America, says Angel Recci of Telemundo St. Louis. In recent years, it has gained more and more attention in the United States and became especially popular after the 2017 Pixar animated film “Coco”, which takes place on the Day of the Dead.

St. Louis will have celebrations this weekend at the Missouri History Museum and Delmar Loop, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will perform the score from the movie “Coco” while the film is being screened.

The history museum celebration will take place on Saturday and Sunday. Front and center of the museum’s activities will be an altar created by Angulo.

Altars with ofrende — offerings — on them are a vital part of Dia de los Muertos celebrations, Recci says.

“They light the way for the dead to return to their families, the roadmap for them to return to the living world and be united with their families and vice versa,” he says.

Ofrendas usually include the deceased’s favorite food or an item of clothing they wore, Angulo says. Often included is pan de muerto—bread of the dead—a sweet bread baked with representations of bones on it. Candles to light the way are also frequently used, as are pictures of the deceased and papel picados, colorful paper cutouts.

Sugar skulls with the name of the deceased written on the forehead are also common, along with skeletons, which are a way to remember that we will all die.

Angulo says he approaches Día de los Muertos as a chance for a family reunion. Her sons come to visit and she cooks her late father’s favorite dishes and plays his favorite music while they look at his pictures and reminisce about his life.

The museum celebration will feature live Mexican and Latin American music, along with dance performances and storytelling sessions in both English and Spanish. El Chico Bakery will be on hand with tacos, pan de muerto and other baked goods, while street food (tamales, street corn, hot dogs) and drinks (beer, margaritas, soft drinks) will also be abundantly.

Face painting, which is another common aspect of Dia de los Muertos celebrations, will be free for people under 18 and $12 for adults. Saturday’s activities will culminate at 5:30 p.m. with a traditional quarter-mile procession – a parade – through Forest Park.

After the history museum’s celebration ends on Saturday, the Delmar Loop festivities begin. Samantha Smugala, executive director of the East Loop Community Improvement District, likens it to an after party. It is only open to people over 21 years of age.

The Loop’s festivities will begin at 5 p.m. with a performance by Mexican-American folk dancers Ballet Ollin USA. They will lead what Smugala calls a “mini-parade” through the crowd to the stage, where Mariachi Los Reyes will perform. After that set, the high-energy band Banda Artilleros – who sometimes call themselves La Indestructible Banda Artilleros – will take the stage.

In between, suitable food and drink will be for sale and painters and games will also be available. Several mini-altars will be set up, representing businesses around the Loop. A competition contest will be judged starting at 7:30 p.m., with prizes donated by various Loop companies.

After the live performances, a DJ will play music into the night.

Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, the Symphony Orchestra of St. Louis will perform the music during screenings of the film “Coco”.

“We wanted to celebrate the culture, the holiday,” says the orchestra’s chief operating officer, Paul Pietrowski.

When it came out in 2007, the film was an international hit. It won the Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Song for “Remember Me.”

“It’s a beautiful story about a young man named Miguel. He is from a family of shoemakers. His family hates music, but he dreams of becoming a musician. He accidentally enters the Land of the Dead. On his journey, he unlocks the story behind his family and his history by meeting his relatives from the past,” says Pietrowski.

The filmmakers did extensive research into Mexican culture, he says. And the animators filmed guitarist Federico Ramos’ hands while he was singing for the soundtrack so that the animation would be accurate.

The shows will take place at the Stifel Theatre. In the hall there will be an altar with offerings to remember loved ones who have died.