Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico
Experiencing Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico is one of the most precious memories from all my travels. El Dia de los Muertos – Day of the Dead is a flavorful and ceremonial celebration devoted to honoring and welcoming back the souls of deceased loved ones. Bright and colorful altars are constructed in homes and public places adorned with a vibrant array of glowing votive candles, photos, marigolds, crafts and favorite foods of the deceased including beer, chocolate, grasshoppers, sugar skull heads as ofrendas. Every year at Vosges Haut-Chocolat, we make exotic chocolate skulls encrusted with black salt, jeweled eyes to commemorate this most vibrant of holidays.
Day of the Dead, celebrated on November 1-2, is a historic Meso-American holiday that originated from the Aztecs 3000 years earlier. When the Spanish Conquistadors landed in what is now Mexico nearly 500 years ago, they encountered natives practicing this ritual that seemed to mock death. It was a ritual the Spaniards would try unsuccessfully to eradicate. Although the ceremony has since been merged with Catholic theology, it still maintains the basic principles the Aztecs had intended, a view that death is the continuation of life. Life was a dream and only in death did one become truly awake.
The skulls were used to symbolize this cycle of death and rebirth. As the Aztecs and other Meso-American civilizations kept skulls as trophies and displayed them during the ritual to honor the dead and exalt the sphere of death and rebirth.
Much of the holiday centers around preparation of the best foods that are offered to ancestors who come back to visit the living during this narrow window of time. Colorful skeletons in all forms decorate homes, cemeteries and altars. Weeks in advance, time is expressly taken to prepare moles, marzipan, tamales and calabacha en tacha, candied pumpkin soaked in clove and cinnamon spiced brown sugar syrup. Traditional liquors such as Mezcal served with worm ground salt and pulque are also abundantly served during the celebration.
A few years ago, I hosted a Yoga + Chocolate retreat in Oaxaca during the Day of the Dead celebration with my dear friend and yoga master, David Romanelli. Daily yoga and food experiences were centered around Oaxaca’s history and culinary traditions- this is the land of 7 moles and chocolate after all. If you are feeling spontaneous and need a break from your daily grind, I insist you book a last minute trip to Oaxaca to enjoy the Day of the Dead celebrations on November 1 and 2nd. Below is the itinerary from our Mexican yoga + chocolate excursion full of MUST DO experiences in Oaxaca.
Oaxaca, Mexico – Travel Recommendations
HOTELS
I highly recommend staying at the amazing Camino Real. The Camino Real is a gorgeous 5-star hotel set in a 15th century former convent of Santa Catalina. Otherwise, consider the Casa Oaxaca where you should visit no matter what for a Temazcal appointment and a dinner.
DAY 1
Every morning you will have the option to enjoy Camino Real’s famous Oaxacan breakfast buffet, an event not be missed while you dine within one of the many courtyards and listen to the sounds of monks singing. Be sure to try the chapulines (grasshoppers) and pan de yema dipped in chocolate con leche or chocolate con agua, the favored drink of Oaxaca.
During the day, enjoy a trip to Teotitlán del Valle, a small village just outside of Oaxaca that is famous for rug weaving, mezcal distilleries, and the Mendoza’s Tlamanalli Restaurant. If you can arrange a Comida Zapotecan old-style Zapotecan cooking in a class with one of the 4 Zapotec sisters, Abigail Mendoza you will be in for a treat. After lunch visit a local mezcal producer and distillery learn about the art of making mezcal. Dinner at El Naranjo, Iliana de la Vega’s renowned restaurant.
DAY 2
Depart for Monte Alban, a group of hills in the center of the Valle de Oaxaca which holds one of the oldest cities on the American continent. It is the capital of Zapotec culture with ancient ruins dating back to 500BC. Have a quick lunch at La Capilla, a famous open-air restaurant where you can see how they make blandas and tlayudas on large griddles. You’ll experience their excellent regional cooking, specializing in mole negro, a mole with chocolate. After lunch, stop briefly in Coyotepec, the home of black pottery, before heading back to the hotel. You will see this lace cut pottery all over Camino Real illuinated by candle light at dusk.
In the evening, visit the village and cemeteries of Xoxocotlan for Day of the Dead festivities. Click here for the description of the history, significance, and festivities surrounding this unique Mexican holiday.
DAY 3
Arrange a cooking class at Restaurant El Naranjo with one of Oaxaca’s most popular female chefs, Iliana de la Vega of El Naranjo. Experience a hands-on cooking class after which you’ll sojourn to the Benito Juarez market and a local chocolate mill, where Iliana will explain the seasonal produce, the wide variety of fresh and dry chilies, and the making of Mexican chocolate.
DAY 4
Take a guided tour of Oaxaca City. Visit the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca. The fourteen halls set in this museum, within the former convent of Santo Domingo, are an absolute must see. Lunch in Oaxaca’s main town square, known as the zocalo, at La Casa de la Abuella. This restaurant demonstrates superb local Oaxacan cooking prepared according to old recipes carefully preserved by the lovely owner, Olga Scherenberg de Martinez. The restaurant has a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains, the town’s Cathedral and the zocalo. The mole almendrado is highly recommended.
In the afternoon, explore 20 de Noviembre Mercado, the most popular market in Oaxaca, to experience wonderful Mexican food including Tlayuda grilled meats, chocolates, and moles. Try dinner at Marco Polo at 5 de Mayo Street.
DAY 5
Hike the mountains in the Sierra Norte, land of “the cloud people.” The trip runs between 6-7 hours in total, including three hours of hiking. The hike is at 10,000 feet above sea level and is suitable for avid hikers only. Then have a lunch at La Casa del Pueblo Restaurant. If staying in Oaxaca and opting out of the hike, be sure to visit the Photography Museum, a small contemporary open-air museum donated by internationally acclaimed, local artist Francisco Toledo. The Contemporary Art Museum is another worthwhile one to visit. Dinner at Casa Oaxaca a must!
DAY 6
Spend an unforgettable day with famous chef Susana Trilling, including a comprehensive cooking class and market tour in Etla, giving you an insider’s knowledge of Mexican culture through its cuisine. This is an experience of Mexico most visitors never have. Susana Trilling, teacher, chef, writer and television host will teach you to work with the native foods of Mexico. The class, tour and lectures focus on pre-Hispanic foods, traditional culinary, medicinal, and spiritual herb usage, and the Spanish influence on the contemporary Oaxacan kitchen. The participation-based class combined with the market tour provides fantastic insight into the daily Oaxacan food culture.
RANCHO AURORA, Susana’s home, is on a hillside farm overlooking the pueblo of San Lorenzo Cacaotepec in Etla. It has a breathtaking view of the valley. There, you will discover where the food you cook is grown, gathered, and prepared for use in the many forms of Mexican cuisine. Susana also has a marvelous store at her school for you food-ies and gadget collectors. Note that her store only takes cash, either in dollars or pesos, or traveler’s checks – but no credit cards. If using traveler’s checks, be sure to bring your passport.
Dinner at La Olla.
EXPERIENCED TRAVELERS… for those of you who have Oaxaca recommendations of your own, please leave comments. I am always looking for new adventures!
Tags: camino real, chocolate, day of dead, oaxaca, skulls, yoga
I happen to be in Oaxaca right this minute — my husband is an archaeologist and for the second time in several years, we’re spending six months down here. We were here for los dias de muertos in 2007 too. We’ve been coming to Oaxaca for his work since 2003.
I wanted to let you know that Iliana sold El Naranjo after the crisis of 2006. She lives in Austin, TX. El Naranjo is still open, but it is now owned by an American from Connecticut, and the food has gone way, way down hill. I’d stay clear, honestly. But the good news is there are a couple of new restaurants that are absolutely delightful. The newest is El Teatro Culinario, owned by Oscar Carrizosa of Casa Crespo. The chef is Jose Luis Diaz. They used to host dinners at the bed and breakfast, dinners that became so renowned they were written up in the NY Times and Bon Appetit. El Teatro Culinario is on Allende within a stone’s throw of Santo Domingo.
The other restaurant that’s quite good and very popular is La Biznaga. It’s on Garcia Vigil, again very close to Santo Domingo. Both restaurants offer diverse menus and consistent quality and service.
A popular place to try non-Valley Oaxacan food is Sopa de Piedra. It’s on the road to Mitla (the same road you take to Teotitlan and Tlacolula). It’s a Chinanteco restaurant where the men prepare seafood soup cooked with red hot river stones. In their community, this is the one meal that the men make for the women. It’s a fun experience to try the soup and the owners are always welcome to showing diners how they make the soup and welcome you to take photographs.
I’m so happy to see that you’ve recommended Tlaminalli in Teotitlan. That is our favorite restaurant in Oaxaca. My husband works in the Zapotec village just next to Teotitlan, Macquilxochitl. We have a number of friends in Macquil who cook for us (aren’t we lucky!!) but when we want Zapotec food in a restaurant, we always go to Tlamanalli.
MACO, the contemporary art museum, is going through extensive renovations right now, but they have one courtyard that they’re using for exhibiting art. Right now, Laurie Litowitz, a wonderful American artist who has lived here in Oaxaca for 30 years or so, is showing ‘Gris,’ a constantly evolving work involving charcoal and found objects. It’s quite interesting.
For other recommendations, I would suggest going to El Pochote markets and Mercado Merced, as well as the Sunday market in Tlacolula. El Pochote used to be in Pochote park on Vigil, but several months ago they were forced out of the park and the vendors have formed two separate markets, one on Rayon between Xicotencatl and Melchor Ocampo, and the other in Xochimilco, in the church courtyard. The Rayon Pochote has excellent veggies and prepared foods, including fresh juice of passion fruit and other goodies. It’s open Tuesday-Saturday. The Xochimilco market also has prepared foods, a number of craft vendors, and some veggies (not as much as the other) and is open on Fridays and Saturdays. Both are wonderful. The Mercado Merced, located on Morelos and La Calzada de la Republica, has fantastic, world famous empanadaas (among other things). Empanadas de tinga de pollo, champignones, flores de calabaza con quesillo (the Oaxacan string cheese) are all fabulous, especially with the salsa roja. Plus it’s great fun to go to a local city market. The vendors are super friendly.
The market in Tlacolula is on most tourists’ lists of places to go because it is the largest Zapotec market in the valley (if you have an opportunity to go to Juchitan in the isthmus, their market is absolutely incredible). Tlacolula is the county seat for the entire Tlacolula Valley (which includes Teotitlan, Macquil, Tlacochahuaya, etc).Take the time to wonder into the bowels of the market — get all the way back where they prepare food and sell meat. Make sure, too, to go through all of the side alleys to see the real local stuff. The main thoroughfare has become more ‘touristy’ but is still great fun. Get all the way back to where they sell chocolate and you can buy raw beans, roasted beans, custom made chocolate, and all sorts of chocolate-making pots. In each of the villages, too, you can ask around to find out who makes the local chocolate and meet the women personally. It’s quite fun to do this. We know the woman who is most famous for chocolate in Macquil and she sun roasts the beans and still makes some with a metate. Amazing!
If you’re out late, you should stop by Tlayudas Libres for tlayudas. They’re quite well known too and always busy. They open around 9:30 or so and stay open until the wee hours of the morning. The tlayudas typically feature asiento (rendered pork fat), black beans, a little fresh cheese, and carne asada or chorizo. The locals we know all say ‘no’ to the verduras (which at Libres are just shredded cabbage) for food safety reasons. Watching the dona of Libres fan the fires of the mesquite charcoal is wonderful. She puts the meat directly on the coals! So no, not the sort of thing you want to eat often, but for a special treat, why not?
All of the villages have their own traditions for dias de muertos, so if you’re fortunate to meet some local people, see if you can go to their village to see how they celebrate. In Etla, they have raucous parades that go through the night, with costumes and music and sarcastic poems directed at the local big wigs. It’s amazing. Young men dress in costumes made of bells and small mirrors and wear devil masks, or dress in drag, They parade through the streets with brass bands and stop at the homes of municipal officials to perform the poems, which are similar to our ‘roasts’. Needless to say, the whole thing is fueled by quite a bit of mescal drinking. In Macquil, the celebration is a subdued family affair. The morning of November 1 is when you bring chocolate and pan de yema (eggyolk bread) to your godparents. The offrendas are filled with fruits and other food offerings and photographs of the deceased. There are not the same skull images we typically think of for los dias.
In Oxotlan, the celebration happens at the cemetery, where you can drink mezcal (of course), atole de chocolate, and snack on empanadas with families around the graves of their dead. It’s interesting and like Etla, involves a lot of mezcal drinking.
Speaking of the Zapotec villages, dia de muertos was not just an Aztec celebration. The Aztecs were quite late in the cultural line, actually. The celebration stretched across south central Mexico. It is a truly syncretic celebration now, mixing pre=Hispanic traditions with Catholic ones. It’s beautiful!
Besides going to Monte Alban, I’d suggest seeing some of the smaller sites too, which are often even more interesting. Yagul, Dainzu (which is actually “Macquilxochitl-Dainzu”, the second largest site after Monte Alban), Lambityeco, Mitla, etc. When you’re in the villages, make sure to ask about the communitarian museum and go to it to learn about their history. Teotitlan has a cute little museum and a rather large, though mostly unexcavated, site near the church. The church itself has many pre-hispanic carved stones built into its walls!
Right now I’m at Cafe Brujula on Vigil sipping their wonderful house hot chocolate. My battery is just about dead, so I’ll sign off now. Happy travels, everyone!!