Día de Los Muertos on Isla Mujeres, the Day of the Dead (People)

Inside the two Isla Mujeres cemeteries, freshly cleaned and painted tombs are adorned with bright flowers, plus flickering candles, favourite foods, personal possessions, and photographs.

It’s time to celebrate, to share a graveside meal, and to remember the departed.

The Day of the Dead (People) begins on October 31^st. It includes November 1st, the Day of the Dead for children, and November 2^nd, the Day of the Dead for adults. Hanal Pixán, as the Mayas call it, translates as ‘food of the souls’. It is a 3,000-year-old Mayan tradition integrated into the Catholic Church rituals as La Día de Los Muertos in the mid-1500s. 

San Miguel de Allende 

Día de Los Muertos is a private family celebration that has become a public event, drawing a huge number of visitors to nearby Mérida and other cities such as San Miguel de Allende.

A Facebook friend recently asked if there were any activities planned on Isla for the Día de Los Muertos. I had to reply, “I don’t know.” City-organized events tend to be advertised very last minute, so maybe or maybe not.

 Although last year, for the first time, the Jean Piaget private school sponsored a silent parade, the Festival de Los Animas. It was fascinating to see the students and public figures beautifully dressed.

They silently walked the length of Hidalgo Avenue past bustling restaurants and bars, culminating at the Casa de Cultura with a public display of altars or ofrendas.

Festival de las Animas

We put up an altar at our house in remembrance of our parents; Lawrie’s and his sister Linda’s, brother-in-law Richard Grierson’s, and my parents.

A few years ago, we had a neighbourhood gathering to celebrate our friends’ parents as well. The years have flown so quickly, and now many of us find ourselves representing the oldest generation in our families.

One of our 'ofrendas' 

There are no set-in-stone rules for building a Día de Los Muertos altar, but it should at least incorporate the basics. If you can, include an archway to represent the passage between life and death. The archway can be made of something light and flexible and covered with flowers.

Then add candles to light the way. Marigold flowers, to attract the souls of your loved ones. A glass of water to quench the thirst of the spirits (although beer or tequila seems to be an acceptable option). A few personal trinkets, toys, and chocolate for children, plus photos of the people you are honoring. If you live in Mexico, don’t forget to include the pan de Muertos, a special bread available at most grocery stores and bakeries at this time of the year. Add other favourite foods to feed the hungry souls, and burn incense to chase away bad spirits.

Yani Medina, Mayan meal for the celebration.

The altars are traditionally set up in three levels by using a series of empty boxes and crates covered over with a large tablecloth or material. The number of levels depends on the personal beliefs of the altar designer. Two levels might symbolize heaven and earth, while three would represent heaven, purgatory, and earth. Some altars include seven levels to represent the seven steps to Heaven.

Whatever your personal beliefs, the basic idea is to create a display that celebrates your loved ones.

Cheers from paradise, Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, & Max

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Yasmin and Jessica are back, and the gold they found in Treasure Isla is still haunting them, especially when Carlos, their boss at the Loco Lobo, and Yasmin’s new lover, is kidnapped. No spoilers here, but his captivity and the girls’ efforts to free him, with the help of Carlos’s pals—including local Isla Mujeres fishermen and a Mexico City cop—are the crux of this fast-paced story. Lock has created not only a compelling and authentic setting but a well-developed ensemble cast. The next Isla mystery can’t come fast enough.

A witches’ brew of traditions: Mayan Hanal Pixán, Día de Los Muertos, and Halloween

Pink-haired rock stars and pretty devils

It’s the time of year when devils, skeletal Catrinas, pink-haired rock stars and hobgoblins make an appearance in a witches’ brew of celebrations and traditions; the Mexican Día de Los Muertos, combined with our North American Halloween, and the very spiritual Mayan celebration of Hanal Pixán.   

It’s a fascinating time of year to be in Mexico.

Recent breakfast at the Naval Officers' Club

October is also when the current Navy Commodore’s wife hosts the annual costume-party breakfast at the Officers’ Club on Medina Avenue.  Doña Olivia, along with her right-hand person, Susana Olvera, did an outstanding job this year.  

The monthly breakfast event is an important fundraiser that helps purchase equipment and furnishings for the Navy hospital on Isla Mujeres.  

Minnie Mouse

It’s a fun time to visit with seldom-seen friends and make new acquaintances. Then breakfast is served, raffle prizes drawn, and sometimes a version of flash-card bingo is played. The Gringa population informally refers to the event as The Navy Wives’ Breakfast because the longer Spanish name is a mouthful of difficult consonants and unfamiliar words. 

This year, Minnie Mouse put in an appearance at the costume party. Wearing oversized yellow shoes, she stumbled her way to the door. Peering through eye-holes in the giant head, she was greeted by scary hunchbacks, devils, and the Scream Ghostface man. The room was jammed.   Everyone participated in the crazy fun by wearing costumes and disguises. A huge amount of effort had gone into the decorations, with black and orange balloons, tablecloths, napkins, Halloween-themed food, and a pumpkin-faced cake.

Mariachi band - ten musicians

There was a short video presentation showing the items at the hospital purchased in the past year through the women's fundraising efforts.  

Then a ten-person mariachi band played some great tunes, and the door prizes were drawn.  

At our table of fourteen women, islander Gail Stewart was the lucky one to win a prize. 

Our table at breakfast.

If any of your island friends ask if you would like to go to the Navy Wives’ Breakfast, say Si! You will have a fun time and contribute to the island.  

Sue McDonald Lo is a great source for information and tickets. 

Minnie Mouse is already planning her costume for next October!

As for the rest of the witches’ brew of traditions, the city is hosting several events to draw visitors into the local celebrations.  

Friday, October 30^th, is the Paseo de las Ánimas – the Parade of the Souls, starting around 6:00 in the evening at the older cemetery in Centro and finishing at the recently completed Casa de la Cultura – Cultural Center. 
 

Altars - Photo Naranja Dulce

On Saturday, October 31^st, in the square at city hall, there will be a mix of traditions: the judging of Halloween-style costumes for children, and the building of beautiful altars for the Mayan Hanal Pixán celebrations.  

The altars are traditionally decorated with candles, candy skulls, bright yellow Marigold petals, favourite foods and photographs of the deceased's loved ones.  The Municipality of Isla Mujeres has, until recently, been very low-key on this important celebration, preferring to let the families privately honour their deceased loved ones. 

San Miguel de Allende

I have mixed feelings about making it a public event. In San Miguel de Allende, closer to Mexico City, the amazing altars, offerings, and decorations are a huge tourist draw. We were there, accidentally, in 2008; the sight is breathtakingly beautiful. 

Yet a part of me thinks this should remain a private family event, not a tourist attraction. Still, it is a fascinating time of the year to be in Mexico. 

Cheers from paradise!

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Or

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky

Día de Los Muertos - a family feast and celebration

Patricia, Luci, and Yani

“Do you have a kiss for Grandma?” Yani Medina asked her granddaughter, Luci, as she reached to hold the little girl. 

Her outdoor kitchen is buzzing with conversation and laughter as family members come and go, checking on the progress of Yani's preparations for the upcoming family celebration.

Yani - chopping, chopping, chopping

Yani is making the traditional “pibe” - similar to a very large tamale - for the Mayan Hanal Pixán celebrations, otherwise known as the Día de Los Muertos. Delicious smells float through the warm tropical air, coming from the various pots and pans on the gas stove. 

Across the street at the middle school, the students are boisterously departing for a three-day weekend away from their studies. They carry bunches of flowers and other gifts, decorations for the temporary Hanal Pixán altars honouring their departed family members. The students will celebrate Hanal Pixán again with their families on November 1^st and November 2^nd, eating special foods, and visiting family graves in the cemetery.

Preparing the banana leaves

By the time I arrived in her kitchen, Yani had already been working for a few hours, preparing the chicken and chopping vegetables and was ready to show me the more intricate details. 

First, she removed the cooked chickens from the huge pot, and then added chopped tomatoes, onions, handfuls of an herb called ezapote, salt, and a red spice called achiote to the broth.

Mixing masa, a cornmeal dough that takes time and special techniques to create, she thickened the chicken broth.

Eduardo and Patricia, decorations for the birthday party

As she worked, her teenage daughter Cristina stopped by to chat, and her mother, Norma Figueroa Paz, came to check the proceedings. Then her son Alex dropped in. 

Next came older daughter Patricia with her husband, Eduardo, and their two sweet little girls. October 30th is Luci's second birthday, so in addition to creating the Hanal Pixán feast, Yani was working on eighty tamales for the party.

Manual - starting to cook the "pibe" 

A few minutes later, while her husband, Manual Punab, prepared the charcoal BBQ to cook the “pibe”, Yani's brother Freddy Medina stopped to add his humorously helpful suggestions. 

By now, there are eleven people, spanning four generations of the same family, supervising, chatting and laughing while Yani serenely carried on with her project.

Stripping the tough outer edges off the banana leaves to use as a natural string for her “pibe” parcels, she explains in a mix of Spanish and English what she is doing. Next, she pats the masa dough into a circular shape and adds the upright borders that will contain the yummy mixture of chicken, vegetables, and spices. In keeping with tradition, some of the chicken bones are included in the “pibe.” They represent the bones of the departed.

Norma, helping with spicy "pibe" for Manual

With the addition of the K'ol – the chicken mixture – more vegetables, and a sliced hard-boiled egg, Yani's creation was finally ready for the top crust. Everything is parcelled up with banana leaves and tied securely. It's a work of art. She then creates a special “pibe” for Manual's upcoming birthday. He has requested his usual twenty Serrano chilli peppers and a K'ol mixture including multi-coloured, Xpelón beans. This dish is too spicy for most of the other family members, and he will likely savour his fiery treat all on his own.

All set for the top crust to go on

By now, three and a half hours have quickly passed. Yani asks me to come back in another hour when the “pibe” will be ready so that I can see the finished product. 

She also sends me home with a yummy dish of the chicken mixture, and a handful of fire toasted tortillas to snack on. 

Oh my goodness! Good! By the time I drove back to our house, the dish was empty. Lawrie was only able to run his finger around the bowl, tasting the residual flavours in it.

Packaged in banana leaves 

What a great experience; learning a bit more about our local friends, and having a chance for a relaxed chat. For those of you who frequent our favourite bar, the Soggy Peso, Yani's son Alex is their newest employee. His uncle, Freddy Medina, is the manager of the bar, and his cousin Joao (YoYo) has worked there for several years. Next time you are in the Soggy Peso, make sure you say hi to Alex.

What a lovely family! We know they will enjoy their celebrations this weekend: Hanal Pixán, Día de Los Muertos, and two birthdays. 

Yani - all done!

Hasta luego

Lawrie, Lynda, Sparky, and Thomas

Murder. Mayhem. Revenge. Romance.

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky