There’s more to Día de los Muertos than face paint and sugar skulls. In Mexico, the annual Day of the Dead is celebrated to honor the lives of ancestors and acknowledge the ever-revolving cycle of life and death. One thing it’s definitely not—the Mexican version of Halloween. It’s such an important holiday that in 2008, the holiday was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage as “a defining aspect of Mexican culture.”
Day of the Dead is always celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. Its origins date to an Aztec empire–era celebration of Mictēcacihuātl, goddess of Mictlān (the underworld). The Aztecs believed that, after death, a person had to make a journey of several years through nine arduous levels in the land of the dead to reach the soul’s final resting place. During August, family members of the deceased would leave offerings of tools, food, and water on graves and elaborate altars to aid their dearly departed along their unearthly travels.
When Spanish conquistadors came to the Americas in the 16th century, they came with Catholicism (and brutal iron will). In Europe, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day were celebrated on the first two days of November. During All Souls’ Day, practitioners would decorate graves with flowers, wine, bread, and candles—in the belief that on these days, the dead would return to their family members and the offerings would help them feel welcome. So, when Catholicism arrived in Mexico, All Saints’ and All Souls’ days collided with the original Aztec holiday, and Día de los Muertos was born.
Here’s where to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico.
Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico and in Mexican communities living abroad, such as in San Antonio, Texas.
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Janitzio, Michoacán
One of Mexico’s most famous Día de los Muertos celebrations takes place on the small island of Janitzio in Lake Pátzcuaro, located in the state of Michoacán (directly west of Mexico City and below the state of Jalisco). Every year on November 1, thousands of visitors gather in the local panteón (cemetery) to watch as the Indigenous Purépecha people perform lively Día de los Muertos rituals late into the night. There are processions with music and folk dance performances, but the most impressive sight might be when local fishermen in rowboats illuminate the lake with torches. Fun fact: Pixar’s Coco (2017) was partially inspired by the festivities that take place at Janitzio each year.
How to get there
The nearest airport is in the state capital, Morelia, which is about 90 minutes from the city of Pátzcuaro by taxi. You can also take a direct bus from Mexico City’s western bus terminal to Pátzcuaro. Once in Pátzcuaro, local boats depart frequently from the muelle (dock) for Janitzio; the dock is 15 minutes by taxi from the bus station.
During Día de los Muertos, people will erect elaborate altars to commemorate passed loved ones.
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Oaxaca
The southern Mexican state of Oaxaca is known for its mezcal distilleries, traditional artisans, and generally well-preserved culture. During Día de los Muertos, colorful celebrations occur in Oaxaca City as well as in smaller villages across the region. From October 31 through November 2, the largest graveyard in Oaxaca City, Panteón de San Miguel, is decorated with pan de muerto, marigold flowers, candles, and other offerings.
Just a 20-minute taxi ride from the city is the Oaxacan village of Xoxocotlán, where both the Panteón Viejo and Panteón Nuevo cemeteries attract crowds to candlelit gravesides backed by live mariachi bands.
How to get there
You can fly into the Oaxaca International Airport (OAX) from Mexico City (the flight is about one hour). OAX also receives daily international flights from Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Once in Oaxaca, taxis and buses between the city and smaller villages are plentiful.
Hundreds if not thousands of candles can fill cemeteries in Mexico during Día de los Muertos.
Photo by HerArt Irene/Shutterstock
Mérida
In Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, Day of the Dead celebrations are known as Hanal Pixán, or “feast for the souls.” During the holiday, many families in this Mayan region prepare elaborate traditional dishes for the return of their ancestors (in addition to participating in evening processions and setting up ofrendas in their homes). Intricate altars go on display in the zócalo (main square) of the Yucatán capital, Mérida, and the decorated graves in local cemeteries are also well worth seeing.
How to get there
Mérida International Airport (MID) receives daily international flights from Houston, Miami, Dallas, L.A., and Toronto. You can also connect to Mérida from Mexico City; flights take approximately two hours.
Millions of people line Avenida Reforma to see Mexico City’s colorful, raucous Día de los Muertos parade.
Photo by Quetzalcoatl1/Shutterstock
Mexico City
In Mexico City, Día de los Muertos can be a weeklong affair. The highlight of the capital’s festivities is arguably its parade, the Desfile de Día de Muertos, which was first held in 2016 and—despite the holiday’s long history—was actually inspired by the opening scene of the James Bond film Spectre, which features a crowded procession in the city’s streets.
Thousands of people gather in Mexico City’s Zócalo (Constitution Plaza) and along Avenida Reforma to watch performers parade around dressed as colorful alebrijes (mythical creatures) or the elegant La Calavera Catrina. On the outskirts of the capital in the southern Xochimilco neighborhood, decorated canals and chinampas (floating gardens) set the scene for special night Día de los Muertos rides by trajinera (gondola boat) on November 1.
How to get there
Mexico City International Airport, aka Benito Juárez International Airport, (MEX) connects 52 domestic and 50 international destinations spanning Latin America, North America, Europe, and Asia. Flights to the international airport are available via United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aéromexico, Volaris, Interjet, and more.
Teotihuacán Pyramids
A trip to the Teotihuacán Pyramids should already be on any visitor’s must-see list for Mexico, but this UNESCO site is particularly special during Día de los Muertos. Thirty miles northeast of Mexico City, Teotihuacan was constructed between the first and seventh centuries C.E. by the Aztec empire in reverence to the sun and moon. Every year, the Festival Chaman Teotihuacán is held at the ancient site, where hot air balloons take to the skies and papel picado, painting, and pottery classes fill the day. Candlelight celebrations, bonfires, and ofrenda decorating occupy the night. Admission is free for all.
How to get there
Fly into Benito Juárez International Airport in Mexico City. From there, take a bus, cab, or rental car to Teotihuacán; expect to spend 1–1.5 hours on the road depending on traffic.
Ciudad Valles
The Mexican state of San Luis Potosi is famous for its seemingly unreal, cerulean blue waterfalls. Visitors can also find multiple Día de los Muertos celebrations throughout the region, with the largest and most famous in Ciudad Valles. Here, Mexican tradition blends effortlessly with Indigenous Huastec culture. Día de los Muertos celebrations take place during a festival called Xantolo, where all the hallmarks of the celebration (the building of ofrendas, the making and eating of sugar skulls, and feasting) can be found. However, these activities take on a much more spiritual context for the Huastec, some of whom see the holiday as being more important than Christmas; it’s a way to connect with the festival’s Indigenous roots and acknowledge the strength and accomplishments of one’s ancestors. Barnyard animals are often raised and sacrificed to celebrate Xantolo.
How to get there
The nearest airport to Ciudad Valles is the San Luis Potosi Airport, which is an 80-minute flight from Mexico City or an eight-hour drive. From San Luis Potosi Airport, it’s a 3.5-hour drive to Ciudad Valles, so it would be best to rent a car when traveling to this remote location.
How to celebrate Día de Los Muertos
Día de Los Muertos is an enormously colorful celebration in Mexico. People erect and decorate ofrendas (offerings) with pictures and mementos of loved ones. A rainbow variety of papel picados (elaborately cut paper banners) are strung from ceilings. Revelers often paint their faces to resemble skulls or dress up as skeletons or dead versions of significant Mexican historical or cultural figures, like icons such as Frida Kahlo and Pancho Villa—you can, too. The best-known is folk icon La Calavera Catrina, a zinc etching of a smiling skeleton wearing an oversized hat topped with features and flowers, created by José Guadalupe Posada in the early 1900s.
Although Día de los Muertos seems somewhat grim with its focus on death, it’s actually a joyous holiday. During those two days in November, it’s believed that the borders between the spirit world and the living are at their weakest, and the dead are able to return to drink, dance, feast, and live it up with their relatives. Ofrendas may be built in private homes or public squares and decorated with marigolds, candles, sugar skulls, atole (a hot, masa-based beverage), cockscomb flowers, favorite foods of the deceased, and, of course, pan de muerto (an irresistible sweetbread that’s decorated with crossbones). And since all the food and drink can’t literally be enjoyed by the departed, the living partake in the ceremonial foods while dressed in their elaborate costumes.
This article was originally published in 2023 and most recently updated on October 2, 2024, with current information. Mae Hamilton and Sophie Friedman contributed to the reporting of this story.
