The Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated primarily on November 1 – All Saints Day- and November 2 – All Souls Day. Generally, the 1st is to mourn children who have passed away, and the 2nd is for adults.

The whole country is geared up with festivities. Special sweets and treats line entire market stalls with colorful sugar skeletons and coffins by the thousands spilling out into view. Figurines are made to represent the person that has passed away. You will find figurines of musicians, dancers, business people, brides and grooms, doctors, teachers, bakers, and the list goes on.

These items are used to decorate simple and elaborate altars that are set up in homes, businesses and at the grave. The food that the person loved is made and put on the altar, so they feel that they are welcomed and honored as a part of the family.

Michoacan state has a large Purepecha population. A fierce people that the Aztecs never fully conquered, they retain the traditions of the Día de Muertos, particularly in towns and villages near Lake Pátzcuaro.