Day of the Dead in San Gabriel Etla: Fiesta + Parade

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Day of the Dead in Teotitlan and San Gabriel Etla connect you with local families from indigenous communities where you can live the ancestral traditions of Oaxaca. . Far away from the glamor of Day of the Dead festivities in the downtown area, each community celebrates their deceased ancestors through distinct traditions. However, the overall vision and spirit of this unique celebration remains the same. We wait for the return of the souls of our loved ones who have passed on, as they embark on their journey to the land of living to spend time with their families and loved ones. Our ancestors come back to indulge in the essence of all of their favorite food and drink, which has been placed on families’ altars in their honor.

San Gabriel Etla is a small community with approximately 500 inhabitants situated in the municipality of San Juan Bautista Guelache. Here, local families will welcome us into their homes to live their unique cultural customs and Day of the Day rituals. On November 1st, the spirits of our ancestors are amongst us. They have crossed through the portal from the underworld into the world of the living to honor us with their presence. In San Gabriel Etla the community prepares a grand celebration. It’s going to be a party!

During Day of the Dead the Zapotec people venerate the god Pitao Bezelao as a significant deity in their religious pantheon, often associated with the underworld.  He was venerated on occasions of illnesses and death, offerings of chickens and copal were made to him and he was symbolized by the skull, the bat, and the owl.  In addition these sacred days are times where the Aztec people worship the god, Mictlantehcutli, a prominent deity revered as the ruler of Mictlan, the underworld in Aztec cosmology. He’s often depicted as a skeletal figure adorned with bones and wearing a skull mask, Mictlantecuhtli symbolizes death, darkness, and the passage to the afterlife. As the guardian of the dead, rituals and offerings were made to appease Mictlantecuhtli and ensure safe passage for departed souls through the treacherous underworld.  Your guide will incite meaningful relfections on these deities coming to a deeper understanding of the Mesoamerican cosmology. 

Our day begins at a local family’s home in this majestic town rarely visited by tourists. Here we will begin our Day of the Dead experience with a small welcome circle, present ourselves and elaborate a small ritual in memory of our loved ones who have passed on. We will also construct our very own altar with all of the necessary seasonal ingredients such as papel picado, flowers, candles, fruits, copal and much more!

We will visit the ‘camp santo,’ a sacred field of marigold flowers in the community where we will create our very own bouquet to honor our ancestors as the sun sets on the Oaxaca valley. We will take our bouquet of flowers to the San Gabriel cemetery where we will leave a small offering for our loved ones.

The festive ambiance in the community will start to become apparent once we leave the cemetery. As mezcal begins to flow in the streets and fireworks light up the sky, we will walk to our local host family’s home where we will share a traditional dinner. At this time, the souls of our ancestors who have passed will also be indulging in the food, drink, and offerings we have left for them on the altar.

After these intimate experiences with our local host family, we’ll travel to the community church to wait for the arrival of the dead and celebrate together. At the church, in the blink of an eye, neighbors, children, grandparents excitedly await the arrival of their ancestors’ souls (tonallí). The local town band will be performing traditional banda music, with the central plaza quickly filling up with dancing, costumes and drinks. The celebration of Day of the Dead does not mean that Mexicans do not fear death, but it is the joy that our deceased return to the land of the living annually to spend time with us. Between Mexicans we commonly say, “someone only dies when they are forgotten by their loved ones.” We never forget to honor our ancestors.

During this celebration in the community, feel free to dance, make friends and learn about the people surrounding you because together we will be going to another home where the mezcal, dancing and sharing continues. At this home, we will be accompanied by a small local theater group called El Cuadro. Their shows usually involve local gossip about certain corrupt politicians alongside vibrant song and dance.

To end our night we will join the exuberant Day of the Dead parade which occurs in San Agustín Etla. Local orchestral bands travel from far and wide in order to have the opportunity to participate in this massive muerteada! Exquisite food stands, elaborate costumes, dance and much more await you as we honor the spirits amongst us until sunrise!

ACTIVITY ADVISORY

Outdoor activities carry risks, and you may be exposed to dangerous situations as part of this experience. Make sure you can participate safely given your abilities and the conditions (such as location, weather, and equipment).

NOTES:

– Make it private just for your party with the private charter
– Don’t see your desired date available? Please contact us! We will do our best to make special arrangements for you!

– Please, check the weather. 

[weather.com](https://weather.com/weather/today/l/911a6d9d14fee1c35b9430aaab0c375af74d780bd379aff6e677cf7ab9817218)