The Day of the Dead is celebrated in Nayarit, and it’s celebrated big time!

The Day of the Dead is one of the most important traditions for Mexicans, but the rituals and celebrations in each state have their own distinctiveness; In Nayarit, some places are characterized for celebrating this day in an exceptional way.

Since pre-colonial times, pre-Hispanic cultures celebrated the dead through special rites that opened and built bridges with the living, as a symbol of respect and a constant reminder of the close relationship between life and death.

With the establishment of the colony and later with Mexico being an independent country, this celebration continued to be present to date, and it is the most important tradition and one of the cultural references of our country worldwide.

The Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 2nd. It is a date in which the cemeteries are filled with flowers, food, colors and joy, and throughout this great ritual, the souls of those who went ahead along the way return to keep us company and enjoy the offerings in their honor.

In Nayarit, there are very specific places where this tradition takes on very special hints which invites us to witness and participate in a moment that can only be experienced once a year.

Without a doubt, this celebration is experienced in a unique way in the Nayarit mountains, with the Cora or Náayeri people. In Jesús María, Del Nayar municipality, “on the nights of November 1st and 2nd, five ‘dead beings’ dressed as corpses go from house to house, asking for offerings and imitating the lament of the owl. They take the offerings to the church and the living eat them, but not without setting aside something for the dead.”

In Sayulita, a Magical Town of Nayarit, the Day of the Dead Festival takes place, a festival that begins on October 31st and ends on November 2nd. Throughout these days the streets are filled with Ojos de Dios, papel picado, altars, catrinas, sawdust mats, marigold flowers and the glow of multiple candles.

The cemetery opens its doors to let in the living and the dead. In this emotional celebration, death loses its dark and overwhelming side, and, in its place, is replaced by feelings of hope and joy.

In Tepic, the capital of the State, the Festival of the Eternal Souls takes place, where the road of the Hidalgo pantheon is filled with celebration, and people come to enjoy the food, art and culture of Nayarit, to finally enter the old streets of the pantheon, where you can enjoy a tour of those famous tombstones that house the remains of illustrious people.