Día de los Muertos
San Miguel de Allende Edition 🇲🇽
Touted as one of the best Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festivals in all of Mexico, San Miguel de Allende is a
rich vibrant city filled with history and color, a perfect match for such an occasion.
While San Miguel de Allende is beautiful on its own, it is absolutely stunning during this time of year. Colorful
banners called Papel Picado zig zag across the top of the narrow cobble stone streets, set off by bright yellow Marigold
garlands hung around every door. Offrendas or Alters, are laid out on the ground and in windows offering beautiful
displays of art and images of loved ones passed.
Perhaps one of the most well known aspects of Día de los Muertos is the face painting. Artists of all ages and skill
levels, congregate in the center of the streets during the day as townspeople line up to have their faces painted. The
tradition is to be painted as a “Catrina” or the “Dame of Death” as she’s called in modern times. Essentially, covering
ones mortal face with that of something that resembles the dead, usually a skull or skeleton. The range of creative
expression you’ll find across painted faces is truly astounding, beautiful and awe inspiring.
At night, the whole event comes together as the evening festivities begin. Families and individuals, dressed in their
finest “dead” walk the streets in their eerie silhouettes and painted faces glowing under the moonlight. In a surreal yet
inviting tone, they gather. They gather to celebrate, to dance, to cry, to remember, to see, to feel and to dine under
the stars with one another. They live the full spectrum of life in the course of that one night. It is quite beautiful
to witness.
Día de los Muertos in San Miguel de Allende is a truly magical experience, and if you’d like to learn more about the city or the
Día de los Muertos traditions check out some of the links below 👇 or book your trip today.
Learn more about San Miguel de Allende
Learn more about Día de los Muertos