Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a particularly important event in this town. Most of the traditions here are similar to those in the rest of
Mexico with masses, altars to the deceased and visits to the cemetery, but Ocotepec has some unique observances as well. Commemoration of the dead actually begins on the feast day of
Saint Luke on October 18. Much of the time between the 18th and the 31st is taken up with a novena in honor of the deceased. The most notable difference is the “ofrenda nueva” or literally new offering. Altars are especially created to honor those who have died in the past year. These tend to be the most elaborate, decorated with food and drink the deceased enjoyed in life as well as sugar skulls, numerous flowers, such as Mexican marigolds and candles. In the case of children, toys and sweets are laid on the altar. On many altars here, representations of the four elements, earth, water, fire and air are represented by bread, water, candles and crepe paper respectively. There also can be four candles in the form of a cross oriented to the four cardinal directions. This serves to bless the path that deceased is supposed to take as they rejoin the living on this day. The centerpiece of an ofrenda nueva altar is an effigy of the newly deceased made from fruit, bread and or vegetables, dressed in new clothing and shoes bought for the occasion. Those houses which have a “new offering” that year can be identified by a path of
marigold petals that extend from the altar to the sidewalk outside the house. This serves not only as a signal for the recently deceased, as to find his or her way, but it also is an invitation to the living to come into the home and admire the nueva ofrenda altar. Such visitors are greeted with bread, “ponche” (a hot spiced fruit drink), coffee and tamales. In return visitor light candles and/or leave flowers on the altar. Another tradition that is particular to this town is a procession that happens on the nights of October 31 and November 1. The whole village files into the cemetery on both nights, carrying offerings and food to eat while seated alongside the tombs. Church bells ring on the night of October 31 to announce the arriving Day of Deceased Children, November 1. On this morning, the graveyard is visited and decorated with multicolored flowers and a Mass is said in honor of those children who have passed on. Later that night, church bells ring again to announce Day of the Dead, November 2, when visits are again made and another Mass is said, this time for adults. ==Education==