Day of the Dead
Held on November 1st (All Saints Day) and 2nd (all Souls Day), “El Dia de los Muertos” honors the reunion of dead relatives with their families. The departed are welcomed into homes with offerings of their favorite dishes, candles, flowers and commemorative photographs arranged on a specially prepared altar. Families often gather at the deceased’s graveside for picnics, mariachi music, fireworks and an open air mass. Cemeteries on the island of Janitzio in Lago de Patzcuaro and in several nearby towns are known for their all night candlelight vigils. Coffee cakes called “pan de muerto” and candies in the shape of skulls, skeletons and coffins are popular, as are “papel picado” tissue paper cut-outs, wreaths and crosses. The holiday is a blend of pre-Columbian and Roman Catholic rituals, with its roots in Mexico’s indigenous cultures who believed that once each year the dead return to visit their living relatives.