One of the most popular sites at Xcaret is the Mayan cemetery. Although it is normally filled with colorful tombs, and is a site to see on it's own, during the Day of the Dead festival, the tombs are accentuated with marigolds, food and drinks for the departed.
Marissa heard that it was a "must see", so upon entering the park, we tried to make this our first stop. Unfortunately, Xcaret did not provide a map at the entrance, and repeated attempts to ask the volunteer help how to get to the cemetery led us down various wrong paths. This was quite amusing, especially times when the volunteer was explaining to head izquierda (to the left), but she was gesturing to the right. Ummm, yea... we're not that clueless.
After spending 45 minutes walking through the cemetery, we discovered that a huge line had formed at the cemetery's entrance. Marissa, great idea to visit the cemetery early!
As we were questioning the authenticity of the cemetery last night, Susie did some research and discovered that it is really just an attraction added to Xcaret in 2004.
It is believed that during the festival of Day of the Dead, it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. Therefore, graves and altars are provided with offerings for the souls as they return. Typically, for children, the gifts are generally toys, for the adults, tequila or cerveza. However, we have seen a variety of gifts, including Big Macs, in the past.
The marigolds are thought to attract the souls of the dead to the offerings.
Susie and Marissa
A musical act to entertain the folks waiting to get into the cemetery.
