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Día de Muertos in Oaxaca, Mexico

After the tremendous success of the movie Coco in 2017, Mexico’s Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday has gained popularity in the U.S. as well.

While this holiday is celebrated throughout Mexico, one of the best places to experience Day of the Dead is in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca (pronounced wa-ha-ka), located about 6 hours south of Mexico City.

Unlike America’s somber funerary rituals surrounding death, Día de Muertos is a days-long celebration.

For two days each year, Nov. 1-2, many Mexicans believe the veil to the spirit world is lifted, and our departed family members return Earth-side to visit us.⁠

The day before the holiday, Oct. 31, families & friends join together to create elaborate ofrendas (altars), filled with marigold flowers, candles, copal incense, photos of their loved ones, and whatever food & drink they would want to consume upon their Earthly arrival.⁠

The ofrendas line the streets of Oaxaca City, and parades and processions make their way through town during the day & night.

Many processions end at cemeteries, which have also been decorated in the same manner as the ofrendas. Oaxacans encourage visitors & tourists to join in on the processions and celebrate the holiday right along with them.

In fact, the easiest way to enjoy the Día de Muertos in Oaxaca is to arrive with no plan! The whole city becomes one big party: so you just have to show up, walk around, and join in on the parades, dancing, singing, and city-wide merriment whenever & wherever you’d like.