Reconnecting with my roots on Día de Los Muertos

Mexico, at times, is more alive in my memory than it is in the present. Throughout my childhood, my Mexican father, Filipino mother, and I would regularly road-trip from our home in Lincoln, NE, to Nuevo Laredo, my dad’s hometown. It’s a straight shot down I-35 that takes anywhere from 15 to 18 hours to drive, depending on traffic and stops.

Those trips were frequent until they weren’t. One day my abuela was hospitalized; the next she was gone. I was 12, maybe 13. Sometimes I wonder how much I really remember her—not the image I’ve cobbled together from photographs and oral histories.

Not long after, my abuelo passed away. This was the early 2000s, around the time when Mexican bordertowns like Nuevo Laredo experienced an uptick in cartel-backed criminal activity. My dad said it was dangerous, so we stopped going. Life continued on and before I knew it, nearly 14 years had passed.

In 2016, on my “return trip”—as I so dubbed it—I got sick and spent my time holed up in a Mexico City vacation rental my now-husband and I had booked. I’d had grandiose visions of visiting the Museo Frida Kahlo and strolling through the Jardín Botánico del Bosque de Chapultepec, but we did none of it. Needless to say, I was discouraged.

Then, last year, I traveled to Guadalajara during the Día de los Muertos celebrations, a culturally significant time in Mexico when people prepare food, drinks, and decorations for friends and family who have passed away and briefly return to the earthly realm between October 31 and November 2 each year.

Admittedly, until my Guadalajara trip, my direct exposure to the holiday had been limited. It wasn’t something my family marked growing up, though as I got older, I learned about the holiday's customs, like wearing calaveras (an artistic representation of a human skull or skeleton) and creating ofrendas (altars to honor deceased loved ones). I took comfort in learning that, in Mexico, death is seen as an extension of life and time is taken to celebrate loved ones through a lens of joy, rather than sadness.

Located in Western Mexico, Guadalajara is an especially beautiful place to take in Día de los Muertos. As the capital of Jalisco, this cultural hub is just a short, 30-minute drive from Tlaquepaque, which hosts a popular Día de los Muertos parade annually (the exact date changes year to year). Read on for my suggestions for where to stay, what to do, and where to eat.

The DoubleTree by Hilton Guadalajara Centro Historico is a great home base for exploring the very best of Guadalajara, the birthplace of tequila and mariachi music. It’s near colonial plazas, the Teatro Degollado, the Museo de Cera, and the cathedral. I loved that I could walk to many of the main sites and return to the hotel for a drink at Piso 7, which has panoramic views of the city.

You can find anything you might need for an ofrenda at the Feria de Carton, a Día de Muertos market in Parque Morelos, a few blocks north of the San Juan de Dios market in the historic city center. There are the usual candles, incense, small calaveras made from sugar, paper flowers, and marigolds, but if you’re crafting your own ofrenda, you’ll want to have your loved ones’ favorite foods and a photo on hand to personalize it, too. Try to shopp in the morning, ideally before noon, as the afternoon and evenings are buzzing with families and sightseers.

Another way to mark the holiday is a nighttime tour of the city’s oldest cemetery, The Panteon de Belen (offered by the adjacent museum). The cemetery’s impressive gothic architecture is juxtaposed with moody lighting that dances against the timeworn mausoleums and gravestones. Before the tour, stroll along the nearby Paseo Alcalde, a charming pedestrian pathway dotted with street art and architecture. Afterwards, make a stop at Pulque Revueltas, known for its traditional Mexican fare and vegan offerings.

Beyond the ceremonial parade, in the weeks around the holiday, it’s worth a visit to c. Located about four miles southeast of Guadalajara, the city is known for its galleries, boutiques, and restaurants—plus amazing street art and murals. Start by walkinf down Calle Independencia, a colorful pedestrian street packed with souvenirs like candles and flower crowns. During Día de los Muertos, you can take in live mariachi music, folk dancing, and traditional foods like orangey pan de muerto, tamales, and sopa Azteca. You’ll also spot stunning ofrendas, plus families dressed in striking costumes and wearing calaveras.

Visiting the birthplace of tequila without touring an agave farm and distillery? I think not. Even though tequila isn't tied to the holiday, I toured Tanteo Tequila, a distillery owned and operated by a co-op of local agave farmers in Juanacatlán, about 50 minutes outside Guadalajara. I was struck by both the sugary-sweet scent of cooked agave and just how physically strenuous the work is; agave plants, on average, weigh more than 110 pounds. After the tour, a traditional outdoor feast of salsas, carne asada, and tacos was served, along with—what else?—a sampling of tequilas. (While visitors have to arrange their own transportation to this distillery, several companies offer tequila tours via bus, too.)