The Día de los Muertos in Mexico is a really big holiday that is celebrated throughout the country. Of course, there are differences in, for example, the amount and extend of the decorations, the intensity or even the intimacy with which it is celebrated. I was in Patzcuaro for the Día de los Muertos – because in Patzcuaro itself, as well as on the nearby island of Janitzio, the Día de los Muertos is said to be particularly beautiful. However, a local I got chatting with, to told me about another village nearby where it was supposed to be really beautiful as well. And he was right.
The cemetery in Tzintzuntzan isn’t necessarily huge, but the atmosphere and how everything was decorated… Beautiful! Really. Incredibly peaceful and intimate and not crowded at all, because no one goes to Tzintzuntzan for the Día de los Muertos. Everyone wants to go to Janitzio. So I was able to chat with the locals, listen to their stories, linger, admire the beautiful altars, flowers and candles, and feel what this day means to the people. It is an incredibly intimate gathering with the ancestors. A quiet, peaceful and joyful gathering in which both the dead and the living participate and which, in my opinion, is much healthier than the black we dress in in Germany and often in Europe. It touched me deeply and I am still very grateful today that I was taken to this place 😊

Go or not? Since this place is not overrun by tourists, but you can’t either just go there without a car, I would ask you, if you want to go, to treat the people and the meaning behind the holiday with respect and openness. Because if you’ve been to Janitzio on the Día de los Muertos or read my post about it, you know what can happen when a place is taken over by tourism. So yes, but only if you go for the holiday and not just to take photos.