STRKNG Photography Blog

The day of the Dead in Oaxaca is something special. Since 2015 I organize photography expeditions. The last one was in 2019, but this year I will back to document the traditions in that magical land in the south of Mexico.

Th orange flowers (cempasúchil) color the city and all the villages in the state of Oaxaca, in fact in Mexican tradition this flower is used to guide souls towards their return home, and they are collocated on altars decorated in honor of the dead, in Spanish ofrendas.

For all the festivities, starting from 25-28 October and ending on 2-3 November, a typical bread the Pan de Muertos is eaten, a typical dessert sprinkled with sugar, whose round shape is adorned with fake bones and a small skull.

The Dia de muertos is a celebration that comes from pre-Hispanic populations, more familiar than public. It is a moment in which the dead are remembered and honored, who reunite with their families from the afterlife on the night between 1 and 2 November. According to popular belief, this only happens if they are remembered by the living and only if their photo is displayed on the family altar. The traditions of Vida y Muerte belong to all of Mexico, but there are some regions where these holidays are particularly felt and therefore also celebrated in public, with events and parades, as in Oaxaca.

During my documentation of these years I made a lot of photos but first of all I connected with the local people, because I think is very important for the work of a documentary photographer to understand and respecting the traditions in order to give a visual proposal that is real and genuine.

Because of pandemic in 2020 for the first time since 2015 I did not go to Oaxaca. But this year I will back. It is possible to come with me and working together for a limited number of participants. In any case I will go so even with a participant my Day of the Dead Photo Expedition will take place.