If you will be staying in our luxury vacation rentals in the Puerto Vallarta Romantic Zone during the last weekend in October, you will be in the perfect location to participate in one of the most special traditions in Mexico: Día de Muertos.
Not to be confused with Halloween, Día de Muertos is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd and is a combination of ancient Mesoamerican and Spanish traditions of celebrating the memory of the dead. But Día de Muertos is far from a somber time, in fact, it is a time to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have departed with music, dance, food and drink.
Mexicans will create altars dedicated to their loved ones and decorate them with offerings to ease their time in the hereafter, with gifts based on the four elements: water, wind, earth and fire. Water… and sometimes Tequila or other favorite drink is left so the spirits won’t be thirsty. Colorful paper banners represent the wind and candles represent fire, helping the spirits to find their way. And earth is represented with food, often the delicious pan de muerto, a sweet bread decorated with sugared fruit. Altars are usually decorated with marigold and depictions of butterflies to help lead the spirits and sugar skulls and toys are often found on the altars of children who have passed too soon.
If you are in Puerto Vallarta during Día de Muertos, visit the Plaza Las Armas beside our famous Malecón, to see some of these beautiful altars and experience this wonderful tradition.
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