By Jesús Aguado
“Greedy with sweets, the cemeteries are full,” goes the Mexican saying. In reality, what this means is that the living take over the cemeteries on the Day of the Dead, celebrated on November 1 and 2. They gather to joyfully listen to the music of bands, mariachis, trios, norteño groups, or just a Bluetooth connection on their cell phones.
Starting early in the day, those who have lost a loved one arrive at the cemetery. Accompanied by rhythms of music, laughter, or crying, they carve and wash the tombstones, sweep, place floral offerings, and a bottle of tequila here or a bottle of mezcal there. On that day, you can see balloons floating throughout the cemetery. You find a large bottle of beer here, and tamales and atole there. In short, it is a happy day because the reunion of souls is shared, enjoyed, and respected.
There are various cemeteries in San Miguel: Cruz del Palmar, El Pueblito, San José de los Allende, Puerto de Nieto, Luz Eterna, but the busiest ones are the one on Salida a Celaya (which has no more room for new dead) and the one of San Juan de Dios. This year, practically back to the new normal, the state has decreed that cemeteries are open to 70 percent of their capacity. San Miguel is following the mandate. “We want the cemeteries to be clean so that Sanmiguelenses can go and visit their loved ones,” mentioned Mayor Mauricio Trejo prior to the Day of the Dead. It is for this reason that a cleaning campaign has been undertaken. Thus, the tombs will be filled with thousands of colors on this special date and will remain open from 8 am to 8pm.
The most historic cemetery is the one of San Juan de Dios. The first deceased was received here on November 2, 1770, and the last one in 1970. Friends and strangers have been buried here for 200 years. The San Juan de Dios cemetery was restored, after having lost much of its area and monuments, and reopened to the general public in 2010. As far as the first resident of this cemetery, historian Graciela Cruz said that he was a stranger. The man was found dying on the steps of the parish of San Miguel Arcángel and was taken to the hospital (now the Hermanos Aldama school), where he died and was buried in the adjacent cemetery. According to Cruz, for 200 years, the place “received people from all social classes, ethnic groups, and places, since San Miguel was, at that time, an important crossroads, visited by travelers and merchants from all over Mexico and also from different countries.” She also said that the periods when the cemetery received the most people were during epidemics and famines, mainly the famine of 1785-1786. During the war of independence, the historian indicated, the cemetery received deaths from both the insurgent side and the royalist troops.
Featured photo by Jennifer Spelman
