Catholics around the world have marked All Saints' Day, which honours Christian saints, and All Souls' Day, which remembers loved ones who have died.

In Mexico, the two holidays have been fused with pre-Columbian religious beliefs in a colourful tradition known as Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos).

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Girls with their faces painted to look like traditional sugar skulls pose together as Prince Charles and Camilla visit Real del Monte in Hidalgo, Mexico Getty
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Prince Charles and Camilla visit Real del Monte in Hildago, Mexico, on the Day of the Dead Chris Jackson/Getty Images
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Women, with faces painted to look like the popular Mexican figure called "Catrina", take part in a Day of the Dead parade in Mixquic, Mexico Reuters
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Women with faces painted to look like the popular Mexican figure called Catrina, also known as "The Elegant Death", are seen in Zapopan Reuters

Mexicans visit cemeteries and light candles in the hope they will guide the way home for their departed loved ones.

Mourners make offerings ranging from the sombre to the whimsical, with bible verses and skulls decorating the graves. Many relatives also offer "pan de muerto," a cake sprinkled with sugar and decorated to resemble a human skull, and tequila to quench the hunger and thirst of travelling souls.

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A man stands near the graves of his relatives at San Andres cemetery in Mixquic, Mexico Reuters
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Women sit next to the graves of their relatives on the Day of the Dead, at a cemetery in Santa Maria Atzompa, on the outskirts of Oaxaca, Mexico Reuters
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Women sit at their relatives' graves at a cemetery in Santa Maria Atzompa, near Oaxaca, Mexico Reuters
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A man arranges candles into the number 43 on an altar assembled by local residents to mark the Day of the Dead, outside the Municipal Palace in Iguala, in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. The number 43 represents the number of missing students from Ayotzinapa Teacher Training College who disappeared on September 26 Reuters

Thousands of Catholics packed into cemeteries as the Philippines marked All Saints Day by visiting the graves of their departed loved ones.

Families prayed over their loved ones' graves, lighting candles on tombstones and decorating them with colourful flowers. Some brought plates of food and had picnics with their loved ones.

Ceremonies were held at mass graves for the victims of a Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing last year.

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People offer prayers at the tombs of their loved ones at a public cemetery in Marikina city, east of Manila, the Philippines Reuters
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People light candles at the tombs of soldiers at a military cemetery in Taguig city, south of Manila Reuters
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A man stands at the grave of a loved one killed by Typhoon Haiyan at a mass grave site in Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Giant kites with intricate patterns and brilliant colours were part of the Guatemalan celebration of the Day of the Dead at the annual Giant Kite Festival.

The celebration starts 40 days earlier, as youngsters gather to start making the huge kites. Together they discuss and choose themes and designs for the kites. Themes range from politics to religion, or are based on events featured in the national news.

People tie hand-written messages for their loved ones to the tails of the kites and fly them at cemeteries. These messages are destined to reach celestial spirits in heaven to let them know they are missed by loved ones on Earth and they are also intended to help spirits on their journey down from heaven to Earth.

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People gather with giant kites created by local communities to mark the Day of the Dead in Sumpango, Guatemala AFP

Bolivians and Peruvians believe that the souls return to visit loved ones and also to enjoy what they enjoyed most in life during this period. So relatives prepare the favourite foods and drinks of the dead.

Many also make, or have bakeries make for them, special breads formed in human shapes, known as "tanta wawa."

The breads and cakes are fashioned into the shape of humans or horses, which they say ease the journey of the visiting dead. A cake shaped like stairs will, they believe, lead to a more rapid return to heaven.

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An offering for the Day of the Dead is displayed at the Tambo Quirquincha Museum in La Paz, Bolivia Reuters
day of the dead
A woman sells beer to visitors at the Nueva Esperanza (New Hope) cemetery during Day of the Dead celebrations on the outskirts of Lima, Peru Reuters
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Members of a family listen to a band playing music at the tomb of a relative at the Nueva Esperanza cemetery near Lima Reuters

Pope Francis visited Rome's main cemetery where he celebrated an All Saints' Day Mass. He said that while many Christians were honouring saints and their loved ones over the weekend, they should also pay homage to the forgotten people, including victims of war.

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Pope Francis leads a mass on All Saints' day at Campo di Verano cemetery in Rome AFP
day of the dead
People visit the grave of a loved one at the Olsany cemetery in Prague Reuters
day of the dead
A woman decorates the grave of a relative on All Saints Day at a cemetery in Palma de Mallorca, Spain AFP
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Candles are left on tombs to mark All Saints' Day at the Rasos cemetery in Vilnius, Lithuania AFP
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People burn incense as they pray beside the grave of their relatives at a cemetery in Kolkata, India Reuters
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