Day of the Dead in Puerto Vallarta
Macabre figures, sugary skulls, flowers of the dead, tequila, food and highly decorated alters. While these may sound like the ingredients for the perfect Halloween Party they are in fact an integral part of the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations which take part at the beginning of every November in Mexico. In Puerto Vallarta it is no different here is our guide to what’s happening for Dia de los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta 2013.
As you wander around Puerto Vallarta you will quickly notice the small altars in shop windows and other places about town. Each of them is dedicated to a deceased family member and is complete with photos, their favourite food and drinks and garlands of flowers. During the Dia de los Muertos celebrations in Puerto Vallarta children happily munch on sugar skulls and Pan de Muertos(a sugar coated bun with a cross on the top). This time is not a time for mourning it is instead a celebration of the life of the departed. Many families gather in the cemeteries to clean the graves and tell amusing stories and anecdotes about their departed loved ones.
From the 31st of October to the 3rd of November there will be various events occurring all over the city of Puerto Vallarta to celebrate Dia de los Muertos. Altars dedicated to Mexican celebrities Frida Kahlo, Cantinflas, Diego Rivera and more will be on display. Locals and tourists who visit the different altars around the city can have their Festival de los Muertos passport stamped and will go into the draw to win special prizes on the 2nd of November. At the Rio Cuale Market from the 31st there will be displays of Catrinas, a well dressed skeleton revered during day of the dead celebrations, with prizes awarded to the best and most original.
On the 1st and 2nd of November there will be traditional dances, concerts, face painting for the children and much more occurring along the Malecon and at the Rio Cuale Market. The highlight of the festival is the ¡Viva la Muerte! Parade which brings together different dance groups, locals in costume, drumming groups, dancing horses as they celebrate the dead. The festival comes to a close with an explosive fireworks display. While it may not be Halloween as we know it, the Day of the Dead in Mexico is a celebration of life.
