Oaxaca Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration is a week full of Day of the Dead skeletons, altars, art, and Day of the Dead cemetery visits. The fun and festival starts during the last week of October when the shops, hotels, and restaurants in the city decorate their entryways with Day of the Dead altars of marigold flowers, red cockscomb flowers, candles, and incense braziers.
Best View of Day of the Dead Preparations
The best way to view this prelude to the Day of the Dead cemetery events is to walk the pedestrian-only streets in Oaxaca City. Entire blocks are given over to Day of the Dead art created by artists and students who build flower sculptures and sand paintings using the marigold flower, the red cockscomb, the candle, colored sand, and grinning Day of the Dead skulls.
Day of the Dead History
The people of Oaxaca are continuing ancient traditions. The use of the Day of the Dead marigold flower is a pre-Hispanic ritual in which marigold was the sacred flower of death, Flor de Muerto today. The ancients used the wild marigold and the scent of a smoldering tree resin called copal incense to entice the spirits to return to the tombs.
The people today still build Day of the Dead altars (offerings) using the same traditional fruits and vegetables, cane, Day of the Dead bread, jicama, chocolate, and marigold flowers. A full week of parades, concerts, and fiestas add to the excitement.
Day of the Dead Cemetery Visits, Candles and Incense
All of this decorating is a prelude to the cemetery vigils which begin on the last evening of October. During this time the families go to the cemetery in the afternoon to clean the tombs and gravestones and decorate. with candles and marigold flowers. As night comes they light the candles and ignite the braziers of Copal incense. They then sit by the graves in a night-long vigil.
Best Places To View Night Vigils During Oaxaca Day of the Dead Cemetery Visits
Each town and village celebrates the Day of the Dead cemetery vigil in different ways and at different times.
- For first time visitors to Oaxaca City, the best experience will be at the town of Xoxocotlan and the Old Cemetery where the celebration occurs on the last night of October. Those unfamiliar with Oaxaca City are best served by going with a guided tour although this cemetery is a short trip from the City of Oaxaca and served by public bus and taxi. There are two cemeteries in the town of Xoxocotlan, the old and new. Both are equally fascinating.
Tour Guides Help You Make Better Photos and Explain the Ritual
Graciela Avendano, an English and Spanish speaking tour guide can help with the details. Garcia Vigil No. 406 barrocotours@yahoo.com.mx
- The old cemetery at Xoxocotlan holds a more traditional celebration with marigold and candles as decorations while the new cemetery will demonstrate the emerging popularity of Day of the Dead art, the sand painting.
Tourist are welcome in the cemeteries; it is a festive family event. Photography is allowed, tripods acceptable. The families are proud of their decorations.
- On the same night that Xoxocotlan celebrates, the people in of the village of Atzompa, two miles west of Oaxaca City, hold their cemetery vigil. They visit the cemetery around 11 pm and they will stay until dawn.OCt 31
- On the First night of November, the Oaxaca City Cemetery, Panteon General, celebrates its Day of the Dead vigil. Nov 1
- Also on the night of November first, the town of Tlalixtac de Cabrera, a few miles to the south east of Oaxaca City will celebrate. At this cemetery, a festive mood encouraged by strolling brass bands will prevail. Nov !
- On the Second day of November , the people of San Felipe del Agua, north of Oaxaca City, celebrate their Day of the Dead cemetery vigil. This is more a quiet and family celebration, subdued in its tenor. Nov.2
Day of the Dead Cemetery Visit
As you see, each village differs slightly in their celebration. All take on the aura of enchanted places as dusk falls, however. Once the sun lowers behind the mountains, the darkened cemetery brightens with the flames of a thousand candles. The glowing tapers cast an eerie luminescence throughout the cemetery. The flickering light silhouettes hushed figures who sit by the tombs in a silent night vigil. Groups gather and sing dirges in the ancient Zapotec language as the scent of copal incense and the pungent aroma of marigold blossoms fills the night air. The sights and sounds of The Day of the Dead in Oaxaca casts a ghostly mood over the cemetery that is apt to leave the first time visitor spellbound.
You need only to find the best places to see Oaxaca Mexico's Day of the Dead festival, the Day of the Dead skeletons, altars, art, and especially the Day of the Dead cemetery vigils.
David Hilbert - David Hilbert is a travel and trade writer and photographer. His travel and trade articles have been published in newspapers and magazine ...
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