Mattel Releases 2nd Edition of 'Day of the Dead' Barbie

Mattel is releasing 'Barbie Día de Muertos,' available starting
September 12. (Photo: Courtesy of Mattel, Inc.)
Mattel is releasing 'Barbie Día de Muertos,' available starting September 12. (Photo: Courtesy of Mattel, Inc.)
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Mattel Releases 2nd Edition of 'Day of the Dead' Barbie

Mattel is releasing 'Barbie Día de Muertos,' available starting
September 12. (Photo: Courtesy of Mattel, Inc.)
Mattel is releasing 'Barbie Día de Muertos,' available starting September 12. (Photo: Courtesy of Mattel, Inc.)

Mattel's latest Barbie Dia De Muertos, inspired by Mexico's Day of the Dead tradition, is back.

With a delicate lace gown and face painted in skull style, this Barbie is the second installation in the company's La Catrina collection, which began in 2019, the CNN reported.

Día de los Muertos, or "Day of the Dead," is a centuries-old Mexican folk tradition celebrated during the first two days of November. Families visit graveyards to remember their departed loved ones and to remind themselves that death is nothing to fear.

People also build altars to welcome the spirit of the deceased back for one night, adorning them with photos, mementos and traditional elements like "pan de muerto" (bread of the dead), sugar skulls and marigolds.
The iconic "calavera" (skull) design on the doll's face appears in masks, candied sugar skulls and on faces during the holiday.

As for why Mattel calls the series the "La Catrina" collection, the imagery has roots in a satirical cartoon by Mexican illustrator José Guadalupe Posada, who died in 1913, depicting elegantly dressed skeletons.

"My hope for these dolls is that they're able to bring more awareness to the Dia de Muertos celebration. I wanted little girls to see themselves through this doll. Barbie has always been a doll that celebrates women and dreams, and inspires girls. I am beyond grateful that Barbie is now celebrating traditions and cultures that mean so much to so many people," designer Javier Meabe explained.



Tangled Humpback Whale Sparks Rescue Mission off Australia

This handout frame grab taken from video footage provided by whale rescue group Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) on June 9, 2025 shows a distressed humpback whale tangled in a rope swimming south of Sydney Harbor. (Handout and Clay Sweetman / ORRCA / AFP)
This handout frame grab taken from video footage provided by whale rescue group Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) on June 9, 2025 shows a distressed humpback whale tangled in a rope swimming south of Sydney Harbor. (Handout and Clay Sweetman / ORRCA / AFP)
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Tangled Humpback Whale Sparks Rescue Mission off Australia

This handout frame grab taken from video footage provided by whale rescue group Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) on June 9, 2025 shows a distressed humpback whale tangled in a rope swimming south of Sydney Harbor. (Handout and Clay Sweetman / ORRCA / AFP)
This handout frame grab taken from video footage provided by whale rescue group Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) on June 9, 2025 shows a distressed humpback whale tangled in a rope swimming south of Sydney Harbor. (Handout and Clay Sweetman / ORRCA / AFP)

Wildlife rescue teams scoured Australia's east coast on Monday to find and free a distressed humpback whale tangled in a rope.

Aerial footage showed the whale swimming south of Sydney Harbor trailing a rope attached to a floating buoy.

"It makes it more difficult for the whale to dive," said Pip Jacobs from whale rescue group ORRCA.

"It's tiring for the whale, which is already in a state of distress being tangled."

The whale was about eight meters (25 feet) long, Jacobs said, indicating it was still "quite young".

The rope appeared to be tangled around the whale's left pectoral fin, she said.

"The way it is moving is quite erratic," Jacobs told AFP.

"It's moving south which is unusual.

"They should be heading north as part of their migration."

Teams of volunteers and wildlife rescue experts were searching the coastline to pinpoint the whale's location, she said.

But efforts had been hindered by choppy waters and blustery winds.

"If conditions allow and we have eyes on the whale, the best-case scenario is we have a successful disentanglement.

"If they are dragging gear, it hinders their ability to swim freely. The worst-case scenario is the whale can't feed or swim."