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Día de los Muertos is one of Mexico’s most famous and ancient celebrations, loved and admired throughout the world, and, since 2008, recognized as “an intangible cultural heritage of humanity” by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). For some people, it’s a single day (November 2nd) while for others it includes November 1st.

The following links may prove helpful:

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•  Mexico’s Marvelous, Magical Days of the Dead

This is a short summary of the holiday written by our good friend Karolina Pasionek, a trained anthropologist who undoubtedly knows more about Mexico’s history and its rich laying of cultures than do many natives. Karolina hails from Poland but has been living here permanently since 2007.

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• National Geographic –  10 Things to Know about Day of the Dead:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/top-ten-day-of-dead-mexico

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• Scholarly article that deals with how the films Spectre and Coco have worked to redefine how millions of people around the world view Mexico's Day of the Dead celebrations: https://journals.openedition.org/inmedia/2985

 

Let’s be clear, Day of the Dead is not Halloween, but the latter holiday has been gaining ground in Mexico for decades, and as a way of curbing its popularity, many Day of the Dead celebrants start preparing their celebrations and traditions (e.g. brightly decorated homemade altars and a wealth of scrumptious food & drink) several days before November 1st.

For those of you who will be celebrating with us in Xalapa and Mexico City, here is brief outline of what we will be doing each day:

October 29th and 30th:
Days spent in Xalapa, and aside from touring the city, we will definitely be partaking in some “pre” Day of the Dead celebrations both within Xalapa, as well as in the picturesque nearby towns of Coatepec and Xico.

October 31st:
9 am bus to Mexico City. Arrival at hotel, lunch, relax, and time to take a tour of the Centro Histórico, where our hotel is located, and to see the stunning decorations on the Zócalo (Mexico City’s massive public square, the former heart of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan) and in surrounding cafes, stores and restaurants.

November 1st:
More time to take in Mexico City’s Day of the Dead colorful decorations and activities

November 2nd:
Morning: more time for enjoying Day of the Dead activities.

Afternoon: Annual Parade. We’ve reserved 3 suites at the historic Hotel Gillow on the parade route for special viewing with snacks and cocktails.

Evening: Parade “After Party”

November 3rd:
Farewell and conclusion of official activities

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Here are 3 short videos that convey the flavor, color, and poignancy of Mexico’s Day of the Dead festivities: