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Every October 31, as the sun drops behind Monte Albán, thousands of candles begin to glow in two cemeteries just 15 minutes from Oaxaca City. Families arrive with armfuls of cempasúchil (marigolds), baskets of food and bottles of mezcal. They are not here to mourn. They are here to keep their loved ones company for a night.
This is the velada of Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, "Xoxo" to locals: the most famous cemetery vigil of Day of the Dead in Oaxaca. Here is its history, its Zapotec roots, its traditions, and how to experience it with respect.
A town older than the conquest
Xoxocotlán is a Nahuatl name usually translated as "place of sour fruit." The land was Zapotec long before: Monte Albán, the Zapotec capital founded around 500 BC, sits inside today's municipality. Local chronicles place the arrival of Mixtec families in the valley in the 11th century. Dominican friars added "Santa Cruz" in the 1500s, and the town became a municipality in 1825.
That layering matters. The vigil you see today is a meeting point of Zapotec ancestor veneration and the Catholic All Saints' and All Souls' Days. The Church brought the calendar, the prayers and the cross; the families kept the flowers, the copal and the food.
The Zapotec roots: a people who never left their dead
Long before the first candle was lit in Xoxo, the Zapotecs, who call themselves Ben'Zaa, "the cloud people," kept their ancestors close. Monte Albán, on the hill above the cemetery, was their capital from about 500 BC until 800–850 AD, and the burial place of their rulers for more than a thousand years.
Archaeologists have registered 249 tombs at Monte Albán. Most families, though, buried their relatives beneath their own homes. The room above the tomb likely served as an altar, and incense burners point to regular offerings. Tombs were reopened again and again: the relationship with the dead did not end at burial.
The tomb walls tell the same story. In Tomb 105, painted processions of richly dressed figures, read as the ancestors of those buried there, perform funerary rites. Clay urns depicting Cocijo, god of rain and lightning, or Pitao Cozobi, god of corn, were set in niches and at tomb entrances as guardians between the living and the dead.
Death had its own gods. Bezelao and Xonaxi Quecuya ruled the underworld and were patrons of Mitla, the sacred city the Zapotecs called Lyobaa, "place of rest." In 1932, archaeologist Alfonso Caso opened Tomb 7 at Monte Albán: a Zapotec tomb later reused by Mixtec lords, filled with gold, jade and turquoise. Its treasure is displayed today at the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, in the former convent of Santo Domingo.
Look closely at a grave in Xoxo on October 31 and you will see that inheritance. Copal burns where Zapotec incense burners once stood. Food is set out for the dead. Families gather by the tomb, as their ancestors once gathered above the graves beneath their homes. Even corn, Pitao Cozobi's gift, returns on every ofrenda as tamales and tortillas.
Two cemeteries, two moods
Xoxo has two main cemeteries, a few blocks apart:
Panteón Viejo (old cemetery), also called San Sebastián Mártir or Panteón Antiguo. Smaller and more solemn. Graves sit among the walls of a 17th-century chapel now open to the sky: the most photographed scene of the night.
Panteón Nuevo (new cemetery), also called San Isidro or Mictlancíhuatl. Larger and livelier: more families, music, vendors and, later at night, costumed comparsas.
The municipality also promotes a third site, the Monte Albán cemetery, as part of its "Ruta del Mictlán."
The night of October 31: the velada
Days before, families scrub and repaint the graves. On the afternoon of the 31st, from around 6 pm, they return to dress them: a cross or arch of cempasúchil, red cockscomb flowers, tall candles, votives and copal smoke. As night falls, the whole cemetery turns gold.
Why the 31st? Local tradition holds that the angelitos, the souls of children, arrive first. Xoxo chronicler José Julio Reyes Matías links the belief to an era of high child mortality: the little ones were said to gather in the church atrium and find their way home by the light of the cemetery candles.
Then comes the vigil itself. Families sit by the graves for hours, many until dawn of November 1. They talk, tell stories about the person they are visiting, and share food and drink. Musicians move from grave to grave, and relatives request the songs their dead loved most. Near midnight, the comparsas bring brass bands and dancing into the streets.
What families bring: the food of the dead
The velada is a meal shared across two worlds. What goes on a grave or a home altar is what the person enjoyed in life, and in Oaxaca that means some of Mexico's most complex cooking:
Pan de muerto: Oaxacan egg bread, often topped with a small painted face.
Mole negro: the festive mole of Oaxaca, made with chilhuacle chiles, chocolate and dozens of ingredients.
Tamales wrapped in banana leaf, often filled with mole.
Oaxacan chocolate: stone-ground cacao with cinnamon and sugar, drunk hot with pan de muerto.
Mezcal: poured for the dead, then shared among the living.
Seasonal fruit: oranges, guavas, tejocotes and sugarcane.
If you want to understand Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, start with this food. It is how families say "we still remember you." Read more in our guide to the Oaxaca altar de muertos.
How to visit respectfully
The velada is a family ritual that welcomes visitors, not a show. A few rules keep it that way:
Arrive before dark (5–6 pm) to see the graves being dressed; crowds peak after 10 pm.
No flash, ever. Ask before photographing anyone up close, and never step on or lean over a grave.
Bring something to give: a candle, a few flowers. Families often offer mezcal or a bite of food; accept it, and say thank you.
Keep your voice low in the Panteón Viejo. Save the party for the comparsas outside.
Plan your ride back. Traffic from Oaxaca City is heavy on the 31st; agree on a return time with your taxi or tour.
Dress for the cold: nights in the valley get chilly. Wear closed shoes.
Live the tradition from the kitchen
You can visit a cemetery for one night. You can carry its flavors home for a lifetime.
At Quinta Brava, our family farm just outside Oaxaca City, Chef Miguel Ángel Álvarez teaches the dishes that fill Oaxacan altars, such as mole, tamales and Oaxacan chocolate, cooked with ingredients from our own fields, where cempasúchil grows every autumn. It is the most delicious way to understand what you saw by candlelight.
Book your Oaxaca cooking class →
Book direct with our family farm — a better price than on booking platforms.
FAQ
When is the Xoxocotlán cemetery vigil?
On the night of October 31, from about 6 pm until dawn on November 1.
How far is Xoxocotlán from Oaxaca City?
About 15–30 minutes by car or taxi from the historic center, depending on traffic.
Which cemetery should I visit, the old or the new one?
Both. Start at the Panteón Viejo for its 17th-century chapel and quiet atmosphere, then walk a few blocks to the larger Panteón Nuevo for music and comparsas.
Is it free?
Entry to the cemeteries is generally free; bring cash for flowers, candles and food from vendors.
Is it respectful for tourists to attend?
Yes, if you behave as a guest: no flash, no stepping on graves, and ask before photographing people.
Why do families celebrate on October 31 in Xoxo?
Local tradition says the souls of children, the angelitos, arrive first, guided by the cemetery candles.
What food is offered on Day of the Dead in Oaxaca?
Pan de muerto, mole negro, tamales, Oaxacan chocolate, mezcal and seasonal fruit: the favorite foods of the deceased.
What is the Zapotec origin of Day of the Dead in Oaxaca?
The Zapotecs of Monte Albán buried their relatives beneath their homes, made regular offerings with incense and reopened tombs to honor their ancestors. Day of the Dead blends that ancestor veneration with Catholic All Souls' Day.
Can I learn to cook Day of the Dead dishes in Oaxaca?
Yes. Quinta Brava's Oaxaca cooking classes include traditional dishes such as mole and tamales on a working family farm.
