Nov 2 was the actual official Day of the Dead! We joined another tour group to visit a cemetery. Originally we were going to one in the city however things changed dramatically when the parade date changed. Travel means slowing down, taking deep breaths and being flexible! In the end we were to visit the largest and most famous cemetery, Mixquic. More about that later.
On our way the group stopped for a lunch at a mall. Right at the front was a brand new Tim Horton’s - our small group could not resist so as others headed off to the buffet, we enjoyed Tim sandwiches, Mexico style. The doughnuts were the same but my avocado, BBQ beef sandwich with fries was not a Canadian menu item - it should be as it was delicious.
Fed, we now continued to the cemetery. Because of the traffic, it took over two hours. As we arrived the bus count was high but we still did not understand the magnitude of the event until we started walking towards it. Soon the street turned into a carnival with games of chance, food, things to buy, music and many people.
A left turn and we were on our way to the church or more precisely 4 churches and the cemetery. From there on it was wall to wall people. We shuffled our way through the church before heading into the cemetery area. Here we pushed, shoved and stumbled among the graves.
As part of the tradition people elaborately decorated the graves of their deceased. It became clear why the flower market was so busy as the graves were covered in marigolds and other beautiful arrangements. Ornate displays, special treats and candles adorned the graves. It is absolutely a miracle that it does not go up in flames with the thousands of people filing through it. We saw just a small portion before pushing our way out.
On the Day of the Dead, families visit cemeteries to cleaned and decorate the graves to welcome the spirits of their deceased loved ones. The flowers and candles help guide the spirits so they can find their way. Other traditions include holding vigils late into the night, sharing meals and playing music all in an effort to turn it into a place of celebration, joy and remembrance.
From a visitor’s point of view it seems to have turned the whole celebration into a chaotic tourist trap for both foreigners and nationals. The hundreds of people there certainly impede on the ability to hold vigils. You can’t help but wonder how the local people feel about this crowded chaotic event. I asked our guide how many people he thought would attend - he figured 300-400,000. I’m betting more. We were leaving at 8 and the crowds were still flooding in!
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