The True Spirit Of Mexico

Mexico’s Day of the Dead captured the world’s attention with its skulls and colours, but behind the facepaint is a touching celebration that embraces everything that’s good about life – and death

- Nick Boulos

The candle flickered beside the grave. Maria, perched on a small plastic stall, rubbed her hands against the 3am chill and reached in her pocket for a small bottle of tequila. But she didn’t take a swift swig. Instead, she placed it delicately by the headstone and smiled serenely. “Rene loved tequila,” she said. It was the middle of the night and I was in a cemetery in the blink-andyou-miss-it village of Arocutín, somewhere in the middle of rural Mexico. On almost any other night of the year, or any other cemetery in the world, this might look a little unusual, but not tonight. Not on Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). It was 2 November and one of the world’s most magical, intriguing and heart-rending traditions was in full swing. The details of this festival may sound strange and spooky, even a little sinister, but the reality of Día de los Muertos is even more surreal. Ancient legend dictates that it is the one time of the year when the dead can cross over and return to the land of the living. Families gather in graveyards across the country and erect altars in their homes known as ofrendas; these feature photos of the dearly departed as well as their favourite possessions as offerings. ​“It’s the one day of the year when we are all reunited,” beamed my local guide Benjamin Lopez Gomez.

The tradition dates back centuries but it has arguably only relatively recently made an impact on mainstream culture outside of its Mexican homeland, and that’s largely thanks to Hollywood. After UNESCO added it to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2008, producers came knocking.