Although the Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout the country, depending on the state it has its variants. Such is the case of the Festival of Light and Life in Chignahuapan, Puebla; a party like no other for its magnificence, well worth living.
It seems that this celebration has its origin in a pre-Hispanic ritual to achieve purification and has been part of the traditions of the people of Puebla for a long time.
When is the Festival of Light and Life
This year, the festival will be held on Saturday 29 and Monday 31 October at the Open Air Theater at 7:30 p.m. The cost of tickets starts at $300 MXN, depending on the area you choose to see the event.
Activities at the Festival of Light and Life
The celebration will include a series of special events on the occasion of the Day of the Dead such as live music, local gastronomy, contests, dances, the exhibition of a cosmogonic sawdust rug and the Offering of a Thousand Lights, a monumental altar mounted at the foot of the Parroquia de Santiago Apóstol.
But above all, the star event is the traditional representation of the path of the deceased to their final resting place, the Mictlán.
What does this representation consist of?
In the first place, the participants, with torch in hand, start the march from the center of the city to the Laguna de Chignahuapan, traveling more than a kilometer and a half. Arriving at the shore of the lagoon, they sit down to observe the journey of the deceased to the other world.
In the water a floating pyramid shines with fluorescent lights and guarded by illuminated skulls -a spectacle in itself-, and there, dozens of dancers give life to the narration of the journey that souls make to reach Mictlán.
Finally, the performance ends with fireworks.
Do not miss it! The Festival of Light and Life is a show that we must see at least once in our lives.
When: October 29 and 31 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Chignahuapan, Puebla. Approximately 106 km from the capital.
Cost: From $300 and up to $1,200 MXN.
Buy your tickets at the Municipal Treasury or at the Chignahuapan Tourism Office.
Do you want to escape to Puebla? discover and plan here an unforgettable experience