La Santa Muerte or 'Saint Death' is one of the main figures of faith and devotion in popular Mexico and especially in Mexican immigrant communities in the USA. As many pre-Christian deities in Mexico that have been syncretized as pseudo-saints, La Santa Muerte originated from the prehispanic worship of the Aztec goddess Mictecacihuatl, combined with the Catholic practice of prayer to receive a death in a state of grace.

Although the Catholic Church rejects the worship of La Santa Muerte, millions of Mexicans pray for her favors. Tepito, the Wild Neighborhood of Mexico City and home to dangerous criminals, is the main area of veneration of La Santa Muerte. Tepiteños gather to her shrine, adorned with symbolic elements like a scythe, an owl, a lamp, an hour glass, a balance and a globe and make offerings of red roses and candles, cigars and tequila in exchange for miracles: recovery of health, stolen items, or kidnapped family members.