The life of the marigold, known as the cempasúchil in Mexico, reflects our own: the plant sprouts, grows, flowers and dies. The flowers’ yellow and orange glow is ubiquitous across Mexico every year in the first few days of November, during Day of the Dead, as families place cempasúchil flowers on altars and at cemeteries to create a path to guide their loved ones back home. My grandmother died of Covid in October 2020, just as the cempasúchil began to appear in the markets of Mexico City. A few days later, my cousin Gabriel, who lived with my grandmother, went to buy the materials for her first altar. Did they have the chance to celebrate their loved ones?

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Persons: Covid, Gabriel Locations: Mexico, Mexico City, Covid