The night of November 1, I was at the cemetery and was scared to death when I saw with my own eyes a deadman. He was about to get buried but suddenly he opened the lid of his coffin and wanted to get out of it. I entrusted myself to Saint Benedict and ran to my house. The next day, I quit this job, and I think I’d never set my foot in the cemetery again.

Celestino Morales
Zacatecas, Mexico

The Day of the Dead, some skeletons came out their graves, got drunk and went to my farm which is near the cemetery. They made a real mess and scared the animals—my poor chicken and pigs. I prayed the Virgin of Guadalupe for protection, and she made a miracle. The rooster sang much earlier before the dawn, and the skeletons ran to their graves leaving us in peace.

The night of November 1, the sisters Ballesteros were coming back from the mass. In an alley, they ran into a skeleton party. The dead gallantly invited them to join the party but the sisters ran away frightened. They thank the Virgin of Zapopan for the skeletons didn’t follow them. They locked themselves in the house, and didn’t get out for a few days, nor they opened the door for anybody.

The night before Day of the Dead, I woke up to drink a glass of milk. What a great fear I had when I saw a dead man eating from the altar we’d made for my grandfather. I implored the Lord of the Wonders so he would take and rest this soul. He heard my prayers, and it disappeared immediately.

Filiberto Cordero
Puebla, 1952

To all saints!

November 2, 1917, the Day of the Dead, Facundo Ruiz went to the cemetery, and there his mother-in-law’s ghost appeared to him. She tried to catch him. Facundo thanks the Holy Child of Atocha for protection so that damned old-sack didn’t get him.

Zacatlan, 1917

Thanks for this day.

The night of the Day of the Dead I decided to bring some flowers to my grand-mother’s grave. I was going to the cemetery when I found out it was very lively on the streets but there were only skeletons who were walking happily around. I thought I was going mad, I prayed the Virgin of Guadalupe and ran back. When I got home everything turned back to normal. I thank for that.

A group of skeletons played salsa on our roof. They rehearsed preparing for the Day of the Dead celebration. They were making a lot of unbearable noise—they were lousy musicians and the singer was completely out of tune. We prayed the Virgin of Zapopan, and a strong wind came thanks to her. It blew so strong, the skeletons began to lose their bones carrying by the wind. Their ribs flew away, so they got scared, got together the rest of their bones and ran away looking for a more quite place. And we got peace and silence after all.

The gravedigger of the town cemetery Pafilo Molina worked till late hours cleaning the graves for the Night of All Saints. Suddenly he heard some noise. Frightened he came closer and saw some dead men celebrating their day. One dead lady even invited him to dance. He thanks Saint Michael for he managed to escape from death and now can tell the story.

Teziutlan, Puebla

When my husband was alive he loved playing cards. Starting the Day of the Dead, he began to come back home with three other ghosts. They played cards and drunk beer. I was scared of having dead men in the house. Thanks to my prayers to the Virgin of San Juan and three requiem masses they have rested in peace.

November 1, I went to the bar to drown my pain. There I found myself in the middle of a party of the dead men. They were celebrating being dead. I was terrified when they invite me to drink with them. I entrusted myself to the Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, and she helped me to escape. I promised to not drink alcohol anymore.