What It’s Like to Experience Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca

When I began 2021, I had no intention of attending Dia de los Muertos. In fact, I thought I’d be hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain by the time October rolled around. But 2021 had other plans for me. One of which was attending my first (and hopefully not last) Dia de los Muertos in the epicenter of this most famous Mexican celebration: Oaxaca, Mexico.

Mostly interested in how to actually experience Day of the Dead? Skip ahead to a few Day of the Dead tours and experiences I recommend for this year’s celebrations.

The Build Up to Dia de los Muertos

Nearly as soon as October arrived, marigolds filled the scene in gorgeous displays all over town, while batches of pan de muerto suddenly appeared on bakery shelves, Muertos-themed murals took over blank city walls, and altars started coming together in local’s homes for passerby to see. The air was festive, only adding to my excitement around what was in store come zero hour.

As I witnessed Oaxaca come alive in those weeks preceding Muertos, I began to get increasingly more curious about the traditions - Why were there faces poking out of the pan de muerto? What’s the reason marigolds and cockscomb are used so overwhelmingly on the altars and in the decor? What actually happens during those overnight vigils in the graveyards? And do locals really believe their deceased loved ones come back for a 24-hour visit?

When Being a Travel Writer Has Its Perks

As a travel writer, my cultural curiosities can sometimes be rewarded with a paycheck. About a week before October 31 and the official start of Dia de los Muertos, a local Oaxaca tour operator named Coyote Aventuras, invited me to write a blog post for them about where and how to spend Dia de los Muertos the Oaxacan way.

I suddenly had every excuse to exhaust the internet for all things Dia de los Muertos and interview locals about the why and how of their personal Day of the Dead rituals. When the research, and later the article, was all said and done, I was left with an entirely new depth of appreciation for what these 48 hours once a year represent.

What is Day of the Dead?

Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is an ancestral celebration that long pre-dates the Spanish Conquest. Ancient cultures, like the Zapotec, Toltec, and Aztec, actually worshiped death, viewing it not as an ending, but the beginning of a 9-stage journey through the underworld to ultimate peace.

Starting on October 31, the veil between worlds is lifted for about 48 hours and the dead return in waves for a visit with their still living. The young souls return first, followed by the elder souls in the final hours. Flickering candlelight and the scent of marigolds and mole guide each soul home, as well as a few other elements specific to the loved ones being called back. When the hour has come for them to return to the underworld, they are sent off with church bells, parades, and fireworks.

The true spirit of Dia de los Muertos is in the remembering. It’s in the celebration of life everlasting. Today, as a result of the Spanish conquest, Catholic undertones pervade the Dia de los Muertos traditions, blending seamlessly with the ancestral traditions initiated thousands of years ago. You’ll find the cross and various other Catholic symbols throughout the altar as well as idols that represent the Aztec and Zapotec gods of death.

How Day of the Dead is Celebrated in Oaxaca’s Central Valley

Stroke of Dia de los Muertos luck number two came when Carlos of Coyote Aventuras at the very last minute invited me on their Muertos tour in Santa Maria Atzompa, a small valley town known for its epic Dia de los Muertos traditions. With all of the COVID regulations in place and cemeteries closed to tourists, I wasn’t sure I’d get the full Dia de los Muertos experience until this invitation from Carlos came through, just as the veil between worlds was lifting.

It was October 31, and according to my research, at midnight the first souls were due to arrive, and therefore the traditions and rituals to officially begin. Santa Maria Atzompa, in particular, is known for their all-night vigils in the graveyard that transform the headstones into a sea of candlelight, marigolds, and mezcal toasts to the deceased returned. Unfortunately, a glimpse at this graveyard scene was not on the menu this year, as the government decided to close the cemeteries in Atzompa as a preventative measure against a COVID spread.

Nevertheless, I got to experience a very intimate and authentic celebration at a local potter’s home. Paco, his wife, and children, all dressed for the occasion (La Catrina face paint included), invited us inside of their family Muertos traditions. We laid offerings of marigolds, cockscombs, bread, tobacco, cacao, copal, and corn at the foot of the elaborate altar in front of their house and were each given a blessing and cleansing with the copal.

Later, we greeted the four directions, the heavens, and the earth, giving thanks and calling the family’s ancestors home. As the sun set and the candles cast a picturesque glow upon the altar now full with offerings, we made our way inside Paco’s home for a feast of traditional Muertos fare - mole over rice alongside mezcal and hot chocolate - and tried our hands at Paco’s craft, sculpting black clay into various pieces as our mezcal glasses magically kept being filled back up.

At midnight, we made an additional stop at the home of Paco’s mother and sister to view their altars and hear about the loved ones being remembered and invited home. It was fascinating to see how each altar varied based on the beliefs of the living and the dead whom which the altar was dedicated to. You’d notice sugar skulls and toys calling the younger souls home while specific fruit, bottles of beer and packs of cigarettes littered the altar-scape of the older deceased. You’d also notice the degree to which each family member carried Catholic or ancestral beliefs. Paco’s family altar showed no signs of Catholic symbolism, while his mother incorporated images of the Virgin Mary into her altar.

I was recently featured in a Redfin article on the subject of Day of the Dead altars! Check it out here: Day of the Dead Celebration: How to Prepare and Design Your Home for the Occasion

Is a Day of the Dead Tour in Oaxaca worth it?

Oh yes. If it weren’t for Carlos’ connections and friendship with Paco, I never would have been let in on such an authentic and unique Dia de los Muertos celebration, made all the richer by the element of being in the presence of a master clay-maker. It was like a two-for-one cultural experience during an ethereal moment in time and in a spectacular setting overlooking the Oaxaca Valley. Paco’s home is situated right at the foot of Monte Alban and yet still high enough up the valley walls to deliver a bird’s eye view of the twinkling valley floor below.

There are plenty of Dia de los Muertos tours out there to choose from, and many of the best ones will require a booking far in advance. I highly recommend you consider this Dia de los Muertos tour with Coyote Aventuras in Santa Maria Atzompa, or any of the other Muertos tours they offer in Etla and Teotitlan del Valle. They time each tour for when the festivities really ramp up in each Muertos epicenter and have long-held friendships with the families they’ll have you visit.

The ideal day for a visit to Santa Maria Atzompa during Dia de los Muertos is the 31st of October for the cemetery celebrations, while Etla is best timed for the 1st of November when the famous muerteada occurs, and Teotitlan del Valle is best visited come November 2nd when the parades to their cemetery are at full swing.

For more information about Coyote Aventura’s Day of the Dead tours, visit coyoteaventuras.com.

Day of the Dead Tours & Experiences

Here are some additional Day of the Dead tours and experiences I’d recommend in Oaxaca:

• Oaxaca Marigolds Field Experience: In Mexico, marigolds play their part in welcoming the spirits back to the realm of the living on Day of the Dead. This experience takes you to the fields and explains the marigold tradition in ways you won’t soon forget.

• Oaxaca Makeup and Pro Photo Experience: Face painting is common during the Day of the Dead festivities and this experience allows you to partake respectfully with locals who will offer an insider’s view to their cultural traditions in a way that’s still, most importantly, authentic to them.

• Mitla & Pan de Muerto Experience: Learn the art of decorating pan de muerto with locals in Mitla, a spot known for its revered connection to ancient traditions and the underworld during Day of the Dead. Like the marigolds, bread-making is another important link to the dead during Day of the Dead and this is a great experience to get a window in to that tradition.

• Day of the Dead Cooking Class & Market Experience: Day of the Dead is a vibrant celebration of life and the cuisine connected to these hallowed days is yet another crucial piece of the Day of the Dead experience. In this activity, you’ll learn how to make some of the classic Day of the Dead dishes, like mole negro and tamales, shopping for the ingredients at a local market and learning how to cook these iconic recipes for yourself for Days of the Dead to come.

• Tierra de los Muertos Festival Experience (November 1-3): This 3-day festival in Mitla features live music and DJs from sundown to sunrise, captivating dance performances, art installations by local artists, holistic and wellness workshops, culinary experiences, and more. The festival closes with a Decompression Rooftop Party in Oaxaca's El Zócalo. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.

• G Adventures’ Day of the Dead Experience in Oaxaca: On this 7-day, all-inclusive tour, take part in the Day of the Dead festivities, experience the region’s artistic side, sample Oaxaca’s culinary delights and cooking traditions, and visit some of the city’s most renowned ancient ruins.

• G Adventures’ Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido Day of the Dead Tour: Another 7-day all-inclusive experience, this G Adventures tour starts in Oaxaca city and includes four straight days of Day of the Dead parades, macabre costumes, and market visits, then wraps in the coastal Pacific town of Puerto Escondido for some well-earned R&R on the beach.

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