Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead Oaxaca, México, 2020

A different year for sure. What’s missing? Los tapetes–the colorful sand-based works of art on the floors and sidewalks, bordered by candles and flowers. Most of the elaborate altars. Los velorios–the visits to the cemetery. The live music–bands playing in the streets, concerts in the cemetery. The street theatre–representations of what these days mean. And of course the throngs of people who come to see how Day of the Dead is celebrated in Oaxaca, México, filling up the streets and cemeteries, many of them dressed as catrinas and catrins–the ladies and gentlemen of the dead. 

 

And yet, Day of the Dead is so strong in Oaxaca that even with all public events canceled and all cemeteries closed, one could still get a powerful sense of how it is celebrated here. Walking down the streets, you would find most businesses large and small had decorated their doorways and windows. You would find the markets and shops were full of the Bread of the Dead, hot chocolate, the cempasúchil (marigold) flowers, and the popular figurines, colorful paper adornments, candles, fruit, and other ingredients of the altars which are made to honor and remember the beloved who have passed.

Here are a few glimpses of my walks through the streets of Oaxaca during Day of the Dead in this strange year, 2020.

 

Cempasúchil fills a fountain in Jardín Carbajal on la Calle Alcalá.

Café la Brújula on la Calle Alcalá.

A catrina sits in a bar on Plaza Labastida. 

Barbed wire around a cempasúchil field in Tlalixtac de Cabrera, Oaxaca.

Cresta de Gallo flowers in Tlalixtac de Cabrera.

Cempasúchil in Tlalixtac de Cabrera, Oaxaca. 

Cresto de Gallo in Tlalixtac de Cabrera, Oaxaca. 
 

Cempasúchil in Tlalixtac de Cabrera, Oaxaca. 

A chapulín–grasshopper–in Cresta de Gallo flowers, in Tlalixtac de Cabrera, Oaxaca. 

Handmade coffin and coffin-bearers (procesión de ataul), in the market of Tlalixtac de Cabrera, Oaxaca. 
 

Tejocotes (Hawthorn) with cactus, at Expendio Tradición at the corner of Calle Reforma and Calle Murguía, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca de Juárez.

Tapete de flores inmortales, maíz, totomoztle y máscara. (Immortal flowers, corn, corn husks, and mask.) Calle Murguía, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.

Catrins adorning the wall at Casa Murguía, on Calle Murguía, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.

Calla Alcalá, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.

Café Royale. Calle Garcia Vigil, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.
 

Calle Garcia Vigil, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.
 

Calle Garcia Vigil, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.

Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead), filling up the Pan Bamby bakery, on Calle Garcia Vigil, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.

Catrin and Catrina outside Pan Bamby bakery, on Calle Garcia Vigil, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.

Catrin and catrina outside El Restaurante Catedral, on Calle Garcia Vigil, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.

Restaurante Catedral, on Calle Garcia Vigil, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.

Calle Cinco de Mayo, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.
 

Calle Alcalá, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.

Calle Alcalá, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.
 

Several scenes on Calle Alcalá, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.
 

Patio before Los Danzantes Restaurant, Calle Alcalá, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca.

Cempasúchil and cresta de gallo flowers for sale outside a shop in Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, México.

Mural in Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, México.

Antiguo mercadito de Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, México. (Old street market.)

Cempasúchil at antiguo mercadito de Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, México. (Old street market.)

Antiguo mercadito de Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, México. (Old street market.)

Antiguo mercadito de Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, México. (Old street market.)
 

Antiguo mercadito de Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, México. (Old street market.)

Buying flowers of the dead from the mototaxi, in Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, México. 

Copy and gift shop selling flowers of the dead, Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, México. 

Figurines of the dead, Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, México.

(Stereotypical) borracho (drunk) sitting by cactus at Expendio Tradición, Murguía, Centro, Oaxaca. The bottle in his left hand was stolen or removed. 

(Stereotypical) borracho (drunk) sitting by cactus, with catrina and skeletons above, at Expendio Tradición, Murguía, Centro, Oaxaca. The bottle in his left hand was stolen or removed. 

Catrina, and catrins, adorning the entry and walls of Casa Murguía, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca, México, 2020. 

With Santo Domingo Church in the background, this wall by Sangre de Cristo Church, says, “When everything passes, I will look for you and hug you so tight that we will forget about time. When everything passes, I will need you more than ever.” #TogetherIsBetter #ActiveOaxaca (or #ActivateOaxaca)