Dia de Muertos in Oaxaca was an experience I’m eager to repeat. A few days in the City of Oaxaca, particularly during Dia de Meuertos, was really different than spending time elsewhere in Mexico, particularly resort towns, but even other places like Puebla or Mexico City. And seeing Dia de Muertos through the ojos of its cultural home can’t be understated.
Highlights
- Be respectful! Dia de Muertos is a generations-old tradition celebrating ancestors’ lives. While the parades and some costumes might have similarities to Mardi Gras, don’t expect (or make it into) a stereotypical drunken New Orleans bar crawl.
- Asking questions and learning more about families’ traditions or ofrenda are often encouraged. Many locals are eager to share, especially because they don’t want to see their ancestors’ traditions turned into a spectacle of gawking.
- That said, go to the markets. And cemeteries. And restaurants. And food carts. And parades. It’s an incredible sight to watch, taste, listen, and absorb.
- It’s not essential to speak fluent Spanish in order to get by in Oaxaca, but knowing some basics helps. This isn’t Cancun and not all of the locals know English.
- And bring good walking shoes – heavy traffic in the central city (especially with closed streets for the events) means taxis are largely pointless, plus you’ll miss a ton of sights in the doorways and elsewhere if you only see the city from a car.
october 30
Upon our arrival in Oaxaca, we quickly made our way out to the streets to check out celebrations that were already underway. Calle Macedonio Alcala was closed to vehicles and was buzzing with people checking out the Dia de Muertos decorations, eating food from the street vendors, and listening and dancing to the band playing on the street and another from the second floor balconies of the library building. Weary from a long day of traveling, we kept our explorations minimal and retreated to our casa for some rest.
october 31
Our first full day in Oaxaca started with breakfast and some good laughs. Traveling with family and friends, a few of us speak some Spanish, and a few don’t speak much of it. When we sat down at a restaurant for breakfast, we didn’t immediately realize that some of us got menus in English, and others got theirs in Spanish–but the menus didn’t line up with each of everyone’s language skills. When one of the English-speakers with a Spanish menu asked “how do you pronounce this dish” to a Spanish-speaker with the English menu, she retorted, “Just sound it out!” We later realized the issue wasn’t the pronunciation, it was who got what menu. Regardless, that became a punchline for rest of the trip, including the cooking class we’d head to after breakfast.
The cooking class at Casa de los Sabores started with a trip to the market to buy ingredients for the meal we’d be preparing. La Merced market wasn’t just full of flowers, breads, and meats, it was a feast for the eyes. Among other things, marigolds arrive in Oaxaca by the truckload for Dia de Muertos and were everywhere throughout the market, both as decoration and for sale. In addition to the produce and meat vendors, there’s a courtyard and other places with restaurants where one can grab a snack or meal.
We grabbed our supplies at the market, including masa from a booth that pre-makes it, what a time saver! Then we headed to the (outdoor!) rooftop kitchen to prepare our soup, tamales and more. Chef Pilar (in the photos wearing the green head scarf) walked us through the traditions of Dia de Muertos and the foods we were preparing that day. Her menus change seasonally (and for Dia de Muertos), but the experience was both relaxing and fun. Plus, after all the cooking, there’s a mescal tasting to top it off!
Bellies full and drinks consumed (we may have supplemented the mescal tasting with some other cocktails), we departed Casa de los Sabores and made our way through town, admiring the ofrenda and other Dia de Muertos decorations in the restaurants and shops. Every one is unique, incredible and beautiful, and some are downright spectacular and amazingly creative.
We took a short rest break that evening, then made our way back to the Calle Macedonio Alcala to watch and partake in the festivities. In contrast to the 30th, the crowds were definitely out, people were dressed up, and the people in the streets were punctuated by regular groups parading through: a band playing with dancers following, a group with characters on stilts, you name it. The groups parading through are similar to the krewes at Mardi Gras, for those who are familiar. All the while, people are dancing, and eating and bands are playing from the windows and balconies above the street.
And then … alebrije! An enterprising guy had dressed up his incredibly well-behaved dog with the costume of a fantastical alebrije. The dog seemingly had no issue posing for photos and getting attention from strangers, and attracted a lot of smiles and attention.
november 1
On Dia de los Inocentes, we visited the Panteon General cemetery where families had been decorating the graves of their relatives in preparation for their celebrations. Marigolds abound, and the beauty and care bestowed upon many of the graves was stunning. It truly was a celebration as living family members set up to spend the evening drinking, eating, and remembering with the departed.
I’ve heard that other cemeteries are even more vivid, but we stuck to the central one that was a convenient walk so we could see as much as possible during our short trip. And we did see as much as possible! That evening, we made our way back to the parades again. It was on my “must do” list to get my face painted, and I found a painter along the street who I noticed was doing a good job painting other guys with beards (I suppose I could have shaved, but …). I didn’t realize quite how many people were ahead of me, but fortunately, the activity on the street kept things entertaining while I waited for EVER to get my face painted. To be honest, the end result wasn’t everything I’d hoped for, but it was great fun to have the experience.
november 2
We took the third day of our trip to explore more of the city of Oaxaca. We checked out the markets and squares and admired more ofrenda and decorations as we made our way around town. We also happened upon a newly-married couple exiting the Templo Santo Domingo de Guzman, who–along with the entire wedding party–made their own entry into the parade proceeding along Calle Macedonio Alcala.
november 3
Our only exploration outside of Oaxaca was a bus to the nearby town of Tlacolua. Mezcal distilleries dot the roadside between the two towns, but our bus didn’t stop at any of them, so we made our way into town and through Tlacolua’s markets and squares. The markets are really the main event here, so we had to make our way off the beaten path to find a restaurant to sit down at for lunch (thanks Google!). After lunch, we made sure to pose for a selfie with the sign across from the bus stop before heading back to Oaxaca. (Note to the Tlacolua tourist board: maybe don’t put the city sign right in front of a gas station? Just a thought.)
Back in Oaxaca for our last night, we made our way back around town and, without any planning, stumbled on Susana Harp en Concerto, the grand finale concert for the organized Dia de Muertos events. Her voice is beautiful, as was the backdrop of a giant ofrenda (to the right of the stage). At the end, fireworks shot out above the crowd, an exciting finish to an amazing trip.
Getting there and back
From Portland, getting to Oaxaca is not a simple trek. An itinerary with just one connection was incredibly expensive, and additional connections mean spending a full day in airports and airplanes in exchange for saving money, which we did. Our connections in LAX (outbound) and SLC (returning) were smooth, and the lounges at MEX provided a relaxing place to spend our time there. (Side note: I especially appreciated the lounges at MEX airport since they’re not pumped with air freshener. In the terminals and even in the lobby of the airport Hilton, the assault of air freshener is tiresome at best, and just awful at times.)
Upper Left Traveler 