Pets take part in Mexico's Day of the Dead celebrations, while Fido and Tiger get their own altars

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Pets aren't forgotten during Mexico's famous holidays Day of the Dead celebrationswhen even Fido and Tiger get a place at the altars that Mexican families set up to honor their departed loved ones, complete with flowers, candles and photos.

Although the human dead typically place their favorite food or drink on altars, the nature of animal food can make things a little different.

The holiday has roots in Mexican pre-Hispanic customs, as well as reverence for animals. The small, hairless dogs They were believed by the Mexicans to have been kept before the Spanish conquest to guide their owners to the afterlife, and they were sometimes given special burials.

But the depiction of pets on family altars has increased in recent years.

Day of the Dead begins on October 31st to remember those who died in accidents. It continues on November 1st to honor those who died in childhood and on November 2nd those who died as adults.

Celebrations include whole families cleaning and decorating the graves covered with orange marigolds. In both cemeteries and at home altars, relatives light candles and offer their deceased relatives' favorite foods and drinks.

The presence of pets has become so important that October 27 is now considered Day of the Dead for pets, and the National Anthropology and History Institute is posting tips on its social platforms for incorporating pets into altars.

Every year, Mexico City graphic designer Meztli Lizaola ensures that her beloved tawny Chihuahua Taco — who died two years ago — has a place at the altar on a table in the corner of her living room.

Taco's ashes lie there in an urn, as does his photo with the vivid eyes, next to a photo of Lizaola's late father.

The orange cempasúchil – a type of marigold – are placed around the photos, as are candles and skull figures.

Taco was an omnivore and, as his name suggests, enjoyed tacos (particularly roast pork) and other traditional Mexican foods such as quesadillas and concha pastries.

But since she has four other dogs, she can't leave Taco's favorite foods on the altar; Some sneaky pup will probably grab it.

Elements of Halloween have been mixed into the seasonal festivities for years, and pets are no different. For those who still have living dogs and cats, it is not uncommon to find a wide variety of pet Halloween costumes at pet stores, including prisoner-style “bad dog” costumes.

Ethnohistorian Juan Pablo García Urióstegui says the inclusion of pets and Halloween influences are part of changes to the traditional holiday that have accelerated, particularly in the last three years.

“We are experiencing changes in traditions. It’s happening very quickly,” said García Urióstegui of Mexico’s National Anthropological Museum. It is now not uncommon to find pets on airplanes, in bars and restaurants, or even at their owners' doctor's appointments.

Especially in big cities, large families with numerous children are often a thing of the past and couples who only have pets – so-called “perrihijos” or “dog children” – are no longer uncommon.

“Here you see these practices permeating death,” he said. “They are no longer just another companion…they are living beings who hold memories and whose memory must be celebrated.”

But admiration for dogs goes way back in Mexico, where hairless dogs called xoloitzcuintles were common before the Spanish brought their larger, furrier hunting dogs to Mexico during the Conquest in 1519-1521.

The pre-Hispanic dogs were often sacrificed or buried near their owners – or depicted as carefully crafted ceramic figurines – because the owner needed the dogs' keen senses to find their way to the underworld after death.

Lizaola still feels Taco's absence. His face is tattooed on her right arm. The dog changed her life and that of her partner.

“There's kind of a before and after in my life,” she said, noting that Taco inspired her to become more involved in supporting abandoned animals and rescuing dogs from the streets.

Initially, there was resistance in her family to placing Taco on the altar, a place long reserved for deceased family members. But when relatives' pets died, they came around and “now it's more dogs than people,” she said.