Sayulita Life’s November Donation: Dia de Los Muertos Altar Contest Winner Receives $5,000

This year the Dia de Los Muertos celebrations have brought back so much joy and excitement to Sayulita after being unable to celebrate the past 2 years due to the pandemic. The festivities came at a time when the community needed to be uplifted, just a week after being hit by a category 4 hurricane. What a welcome into high season!

Dia de Los Muertos is a celebration of both life and death, it is an incredibly beautiful tradition that is held all over Mexico on the 1st and 2nd of November. The festivities are a tribute to lost loved ones, and a way to honor and celebrate their lives. On this night, the dead are the guests of honor.

An explosion of color, flags, streamers and beautifully crafted decor could be seen all over town. The main plaza hosted a variety of decorations handmade by local residents Including a walk through a chromatic flower tunnel, mini piñatas lining the sky, and grandiose altars or “ofrendas” (offerings) to remember and honor the memory of loved ones. These vibrant traditions are what bring everyone together, we are so grateful to call this place our home.

There were 9 Altars displayed in the plaza, each altar was elaborately decorated as a tribute to the dead. Altars are made up of candles, clothing belonging to the dead, traditional cempasuchil flowers, art made of different colored grains of rice/ sawdust/salt, incense, food offerings, and much more.

This year a contest was held for the best altar and Sayulita Life presented the winner with a 5,000 peso prize. Congratulations to the winner “Escuela Primaria Damian Carmona”, whose altar was outstanding. A group of 5 judges rated the altars on beauty, effort, materials, and elements that embody the theme of death, and creativity.

Congratulations again to the winner Escuela Primaria Damian Carmona and thank you to everyone else who participated. Each and every altar was breathtaking in its own unique way.