The ‘Day of the Dead’ celebration in Mexico takes place from November 1- 2, with the night of November 1 being particularly special and extremely colourful. This is the night when traditionally many Mexican families visit cemeteries up and down the country taking flowers, food, music and all kinds of trinkets to commemorate their loved ones who have passed. One such place where this is particularly celebrated is the city of Oaxaca.

During this season the gastronomic experiences of Oaxaca are evident, reinforcing the traditions of the days where death coexists with the living among music, copal and flowers. A genuine example of this is the small town of San Pablo Villa de Mitla, Oaxaca, where the season of the dead is lived to the fullest . San Pablo Villa de Mitla is a town which in pre- Hispanic times was called Mictlan, the “place of the dead” and where according to Zapotec belief, the souls of the dead came to rest .

One of the most representative gastronomic delights of Mitla is the traditional bread of the dead that the Mitleños bake and decorate and is sold in the nearby towns of the Tlacolula valley and the Sierra Mixe.

The most famous bakery specialising in this traditional bread is “Panadería del Centro”, an establishment with 33 years of experience where this bread is made exclusively from October 25 to 31 each year. Their bread has the characteristic that it is decorated with figures that reflect on its surface true works of art made by hand and painted with a mixture of sugar, egg and lemon, a paste that gives a unique touch and greater flavor to the bread.

The figures are born from the imagination of men who proudly abandon the looms and the production of textile crafts every year and for 10 days they meet to share experiences, inherit teachings and capture the pre-Hispanic beliefs of this magical town.

Looking for new destinations for your programs? Don’t miss out on Oaxaca if you are planning a visit to our beautiful country. We guarantee you won’t be disappointed!