San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas Celebrates Día de los Muertos

San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas Celebrates Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an especially important holiday in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas because it is a colorful city that really comes alive for the two-day event.  It all begins on October 31, where the families of the deceased clean the graves and make them look fresh by putting recently dug up dirt piled up with pine needles and chrysanthemum petals.  The final touch to make the graves complete is topping them with planks of wood that represent doors.  The official party begins on November 1.  Families lay out their offerings that they have prepared in the ofrenda and items that are always included are favorite foods, drinks, and any personal effects that belonged to the deceased.  All of the offerings are to make the souls happy for when they arrive from their long journey.

San Cristóbal de las Casas is a great city for tourists because of the monuments, food, and nightlife.  The city offers “iPod tours” where tourists use the GPS system on an iPod and wander around the city and read and listen about the areas.  The GPS component is used to identify where the tourists are located at all times and provide information about their whereabouts.  One of the very popular and unique sites is the Maya Medicine Museum because it has healers on site that cure illnesses. Another popular attraction is the Mayan villages.  It has been said that they best way to see the city is to take one of the day tours. 

After touring the city, shopping and food should be next on the list of things to do.  The market in San Cristóbal is where everyone shops and an array of products from leather goods to handmade crafts is sold.  The last things on the to-do list go hand-in-hand; food and nightlife.  The main square is where most of the restaurants are located.  The state of Chiapas is known for its tamales, sopa de pan, coffee, and pozol and all of these items can be found in the main square.