Día de Muertos en Michoacán

Our friends invited us on an excursion last week to Lake Pátzcuaro, in the state of Michoacán, where the tradition of Day of the Dead holds strong. The lush landscape and fresh air alone made the trip worthwhile. We visited a pre-Colombian archaeological site in the town of Tzintzuntzan, and just down the hill, we caught a glimpse of the local cemetery. It was hard to miss.



For me, walking through this place was one of those rare experiences of heightened senses and emotion. The air was still, plumes of incense drifted past, sun shafts warmed the skin, and there was an overwhelming density of visual information.

Fresh fruit and bread hang from the ofrendas.



Each grave is a person. It seems like an obvious thing to say, but I'd never really considered it before. Seeing these public displays of love for each individual in the cemetery definitely gave me a new perspective.

(The pyramids we went to are in the background.)

-PJ