Marigold flowers & Monarch butterflies: Ancient Symbols of Love's Eternal Journey
- Veronica Campbell
- Sep 23
- 3 min read
Part 3 of the McKinney Día de los Muertos "Dive in Deeper" Blog Series
As you visit our butterfly memorial station this Día de los Muertos, you'll encounter two of the most powerful symbols connecting the living and the departed: marigold flowers and monarch butterflies. These vibrant elements carry centuries of indigenous wisdom and cultural significance that continues to resonate today.
Marigold flowers: Cempasúchil, the Sacred Path-Makers
The Day of the Dead is deeply rooted in pre-Hispanic Aztec rituals blended with Spanish spiritual traditions. But many of the indigenous symbols remain, including the vibrant and fragrant marigold flowers. Known as cempasúchil (pronounced sem-pah-SOO-chil) in Nahuatl, these golden flowers have guided souls home for over a thousand years.
The brilliant orange and yellow petals serve a sacred purpose beyond their beauty. The orange and yellow hues of marigolds contribute to Día de los Muertos traditions by symbolizing the sun and the light it provides to guide the souls. Traditional belief holds that making paths with marigold flowers, from the main path to the altars placed in the houses or the tombs in the cemeteries, in order to guide the souls creates a luminous highway between worlds.
What makes marigold flowers particularly meaningful is their enduring nature. They retain their color and pigmentation when dried — the blossoms once so fresh and bright don't lose their beauty, symbolizing the eternal connection between life and death. Their strong, distinctive fragrance also serves as a beacon, helping departed souls navigate their way back to their loved ones.
Monarch Butterflies: Ancestral Messengers
The connection between monarch butterflies and Día de los Muertos runs even deeper into Mexico's indigenous roots. Monarchs represent the souls of their ancestors returning to visit them for Día de Muertos. This belief comes from the Purépecha, as well as the Mazahua, two indigenous peoples of the area. The ancient Purépecha people of northwestern Michoacán believed that the monarch butterflies were the souls of those who have passed over to the afterlife.
This belief isn't coincidental—it's rooted in remarkable natural timing. Their arrival in winter coincides with Mexico's most spectacular festival, Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Every autumn, as families prepare their ofrendas, millions of monarchs complete their epic migration from Canada and the United States to the sacred forests of central Mexico.
For centuries, Mexico's monarchs have served as a powerful cultural symbol of connecting the living to the dead. "All of Mexico's Indigenous people thought of the monarchs as sacred in some way," recognizing in their transformation from caterpillar to butterfly a profound metaphor for the soul's journey.
The Living Bridge at Our Memorial Station
At our butterfly memorial station, these two symbols unite in powerful harmony. The marigold flowers create the sacred pathway with their golden glow, while the monarch imagery represents the souls who travel that path. The monarch butterflies represent more than just the souls of the dead. They also symbolize resilience, transformation, and hope. They endure a long and perilous journey across different climates and terrains—much like the human journey through life and beyond.
Together, marigold flowers and monarchs embody the central message of Día de los Muertos: death is not an ending but a transformation, and love creates an eternal bridge between worlds. They bridge the realms of the living and the dead, evoking unity and a sense of remembrance among those participating in the celebration.
As you pause at our memorial station, surrounded by the golden warmth of marigold flowers and the graceful presence of monarch imagery, you're participating in a tradition that spans millennia—one that honors the profound truth that those we love are never truly gone, but continue their journey in forms as beautiful and enduring as flowers that never fade and butterflies that return each year like clockwork, carrying our ancestors home.
Ready to learn more about the beautiful traditions you'll experience at McKinney's Día de los Muertos festival? Join us October 11th, 2-8 PM, for an authentic celebration where remembrance becomes a beautiful act of love.
Next in our series: Join us as we explore the elegant history and symbolism of La Catrina, and learn about our exciting La Catrina contest that celebrates this iconic figure of Día de los Muertos tradition.