Reset Password

Your search results
April 16, 2015

Come and celebrate the most spiritual and sacred holiday in Mexico to the Riviera Maya

9Th Festival Life and Death

Xcaret is hosting their 9th traditional festival of life and death celebrating the Day of the dead, promising once again to make this a fabulous experience for the people attending; the event will be taking place on from October 30th to November 2nd.

This colorful and amazing tradition has been declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, In this big celebration, you can enjoy the traditional cuisine of the region, yummy sweets, workshops, crafts, gifts and altars, visual arts exhibitions, theater, dance and gala concerts. It is an opportunity foryou and your family to fully experience the Day of the dead in the most Mexican way possible, allowing you to absorb the whole spirituality and feeling transmitted during this time.

People usually arrive a few days prior to the principal days for The Day of the Dead celebration and take a chance to enjoy the beaches, Mexican restaurants decorated with altars and offerings to the dead. There is a belief that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, “Dia de los Muertos” celebrates the lives of the beloved people already on the “road ahead of us” with food, drink, parties, and activities they enjoyed in life. This tradition recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience;onthe day of the dead the dead are also a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.

The most familiar symbol may be the skeletons and skulls, which you can find everywhere you look, in sweets, as parade masks, as dolls. The skeletons always portrayed as enjoying life, often in fancy dresses, suits and mariachi wear and entertaining situations.

Calaveras (skull poems)

Around the time of the Day of the Dead, you are certain to find”calaveras”(skulls) this time referring to this term as satirical poems that make fun of people in a way that suggests they’re dead, even though they’re pretty much alive. Many schools even have competitions between students to see who writes the best one, the students have to write a piece and make a humorous picture about the poem.

Calaveritas de azúcar (SugarSulls)

Calaveras de Azucar These candies are made from sugar, usually found in one piece with vanilla flavoring and decorated with lines of food coloring, commonly in bright colors. This are mostly bought and given as gifts. Other variations of edible calaveras can be made of chocolate.

Day of the dead bread

Pan de Muerto This is a must during this whole celebration,”El pan de muerto” bread is a baked during October prior to the Day of the dead celebration, it is a sweetened soft bread shaped like a bun, decorated with bone-shaped pieces. It is eaten on November 1st and 2nd, at the gravesite or altar of the late relative. In some regions it is eaten for months before the official celebration.

 

Visit  All About Playa to find more information about the day of the dead and the huge impact it has on Mexican culture. You will fall in love with this celebration and will definitely try to book your next trip to the Riviera Maya on these dates.

More news to come!!