5 Reasons To Visit Mexico City for Day of the Dead – Dia de los Muertos

Once again I am traveling to Mexico City, this time for pleasure.  But this won’t be an ordinary vacation, this time I visit to enjoy the beautiful Mexican culture of Dia de los Muertos, known as Day of the Dead.  Of course that would also include foodie experiences that I will capture on my next post.

As I started my research for Day of the Dead celebrations and activities, I came across so many to choose from that I reached out to a few of my friends who currently reside out there to help me pick the best.  With so many festivals that are happening in Mexico City, how does one decide?  Perhaps you can help me prioritize which activities I should attend:

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1.  Mexico City Day of the Dead Carnival

October 29 – as seen two years ago on 007 Spectre film, Mexico City will have its first Day of the Dead Carnival.  As shown in the film, the festive carnival will feature huge paper mache skulls with hundreds of catrinas through the historic downtown streets, with countless masks emulating death, and of course, many altars to honor our dead.

The grand parade will be held at the main streets of the capital.  There are no official point of departure announced yet, but this promises to be one of the most cultural, and colorful events you have seen in the ciudad de Mexico. The public is welcome to join the hundreds of dancers, acrobats, athletes and volunteers who will be dressed emulating the reaper.

2.  Celebrating the Dead in Mixquic

November 1-2 – while for many it may seem ‘dark’ to celebrate the dead, for Mexicans, Day of the Dead “gives life” to one of the most beautiful traditions and the best way to capture the experience would be in Mixquic.  Located south of Mexico City, there is a place called San Andres Mixquic where there is a cemetery that has become famous for its Dia de Los Muertos traditional festivities.

Year after year the cemetery of San Andrés, there are thousands of people who decorate the graves of their dead, which, during the 1 and November 2 dress with marigolds, sugar skulls and some dishes are given in honor of the faithful departed.  This is one of the few places in Mexico City where you can still experience some of the traditional holiday customs.

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3.  La Llorona of Xochimilco in Cuemanco

October 7- November 12 – with over 20 years of performance in the canals of Xochimilco, there is a mystical and majestic world that is created by the moon of October and November in the channels, which are lit by flaming torches. There you will discover the real story of La Llorona.  Its said to be an event not to be missed as it only occurs once a year during the months of October and November.  Located in the Embarcadero Cuemanco in Xochimilco, the show presents a story most deeply rooted in Mexican culture, the legend of “La Llorona“; where the natural scenery of its canals and chinampas become the ideal place for the show, making it a unique experience.

4.  La Catrina Festival

October 15 to November 16 – located in the Cultural Center of Contemporary Mexico the exhibition will feature “Los Valores de La Catrina MX Fest 2016“, where several artists will exhibit different styles and artistic paintings, graphics, drawings and photography. These pieceswill be exhibited at the conservatory hall of the cultural center by the curator and president of Cultural Promotion of Mexico Tomás Gondi. The festive celebration even features an app that you can turn your selfie into a Catrina.

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5. Supernatural Xochimilco

October 24th to November 15th – Supernatural is a cultural show that features the legends of witches and their world and will also show us the other side of this literally magical town known as Xochimilco.  The story will talk about traditions of our grandmothers, the stories they told us as children about witchcraft, mysticism, and herbalism.

So what do you think?  Which Dia de Los Muertos festivity should I capture during my visit to Mexico City?