Day of the Dead: A Tradition Full of Life

The Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos as it is known in our country, is without doubt one of the most significant traditions in Mexican culture. It has expanded through the years and new ways of celebrating it have appeared around the different states, bringing new rituals and variations that are intriguing to learn about.

The Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos as it is known in our country, is celebrated November 1st and 2nd and is without a doubt one of the most important traditions in Mexican culture. This date marks a very ancient tradition with indigenous roots, far long before the Spanish conquered our land. It is a mixture of catholic beliefs and Mexican mysticism, celebrating death as a new beginning and to remember and honor our loved ones.

This tradition has been in our culture for a long time, but in the past years it has also gain tourist attraction for travelers and their interest in visiting small towns and cities all around the country to experience all the colorful events that take place, and the altars that are assembled to invite the souls of the death to come back, even if it is just for one night.

Besides the mysticism and grace that these celebrations represent, movies like The Book of Life (2014), Spectre (2015) and Coco (2017) have increased their fame all around the globe.

The key element in these celebrations are the altars, where people place photographs of their loved ones along with their favorite food and drinks or any element that represents them, next to the traditional flor de cempasúchil. Even weeks before the celebration, pan de muerto is sold in the altars and also eaten as a delicious dessert accompanied with the famous atole.

There are many rituals and traditions that come along with this celebration. As Mexico is a big country, every region has adopted its own customs that are intriguing to learn about. Some of the biggest events and celebrations in our country are:

“La Noche de Muertos” in Michoacan.

Michoacan is dressed in orange with flor de cempasúchil for this celebration. Cemeteries are filled with petals of these flowers that guide the departed souls of our loved ones, along with candles that light their way. A dignified welcome to these spirits indeed.

“Festival de la Calavera” celebrated in Aguascalientes.

This event is a tribute to “Catrina”, created by an important character of Aguascalientes, José Guadalupe Posada. This festival lasts 10 days and the streets become a grand exhibition of art, photography and even dance, music and sports, taking place in Isla San Marcos.

“Viaje de las Almas” in Chignahuapan, Puebla.

Altars are placed and the famous “Thousand lights offering” (Ofrenda de las mil luces), where countless candles give life to the Iglesia de la Resurrección. These rituals guide the way to the departed souls that travel to Mictlán (an ancient aztec cemetery).

Ritual in the pyramids of Teotihuacan.

The village of Teotihuacan is host to many different rituals on this festive day. They free butterflies which are known as messengers of the underworld, there is a massive candle lighting to light the path of the souls and spirits and also cantolla’s balloons are impelled in the sky by the fire.

These are some beautiful and important places that are worth visiting at this time of the year. Remember the CBX bridge connects you to the Tijuana International Airport so you can travel to any destination in Mexico. Buy your tickets online on our website or in our CBX App.