November 2, Basilio and Eladio Perez went to the cemetery to drink and met one mister who sat on a grave. He wanted to give them a chest full of gold so they would keep enjoying their sin, but suddenly the brothers realized it was a skeleton who spoke with them. They thank Saint James the Apostle for they managed to escape safe and sound. They promise to cut down on booze and respect the dead.

Oaxaca, 1950

One morning my beautiful Clarita didn’t wake up. We were devastated since she was our first daughter. We took her to bury dressed in white like a little angel. And then she suddenly woke up just like that. We dedicate this retablo to the Holy Virgin of Guadalupe.

When we were returning from the work, my buddy Simon and I had a chilling encounter near the cemetery walls. A headless bride appeared to us. She was wondering looking for her lover. We thank the Virgin of Zapopan because the ghost didn’t see us and passed by blasting us with freezing air. I’ve got more gray hairs after that, and Simon now stutters.

*** Garcia went to the cemetery to get drunk. He fell asleep. When he woke up he saw that the dead left their tombs. He was frightened and implored the Virgin of Guadalupe. Thanks to her protection he was able to escape from the cemetery safe and sound.

2 a.m., I was driving my taxi around the Xonaca neighborhood. Then a young beautiful nicely-dressed girl stopped me and asked me to drive to a place which turned out to be the Municipal Cemetery. She payed me and left, but instead of going towards the houses near by, she went to the cemetery. She wasn’t quite walking, more like floating. My passenger was a dead girl, so in this danger situation I prayed Our Lord Jesus Nazarene for protection. Thank God, nothing terrible happened. I brings this as a testimony of what happened in Puebla on October 1932.

Filemon Garcia T.

The Day of the Dead, we went to see the altars made in the town for the dead. When we passing near by the cemetery wall we noticed a very elegant couple. When we get closer we saw in the lantern light that they were nicely dressed skeletons. We were so frightened, we got sick of fear. We thank the Holy Virgin for curing us.

My sister and I bring flowers to our grandmother’s grave on her birthdays. This time we went at the cemetery at night, and got there with the moonlight. We met some skeletons over there. They left their graves to get drunk. They met us with great joy and wanted to dance with us. We were scared and prayed the Virgin of Zapopan. She helped us to escape from the dead so they didn’t chase us. We thank for that.

My father wasn’t very glad that I had a boyfriend, so Antonio and I had to meet secretly. One night we were at the cemetery where no one could see us. We were sitting on a grave and talking when we heard a music. We saw the dead leaving their graves and having a party. They played instruments and danced. We were very much frightened. We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for we could escape and the skeletons didn’t see us.

I went to the cemetery to pass some drinks. I didn’t remember that it was November 1. At the midnight I heard strange noises, so I climbed a tree and from over there I saw the dead who began chatting with each other. I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for they didn’t see me. At the dawn they disappeared, and I could get down.

1925, in Apisaco my husband caught me with my friend and started to shoot at us. I give infinite thanks to Saint Charbel because no bullet hit me, my friend took them all. Now he is at the cemetery and the other on is in the jail.

The gravedigger Ambrosio Ruiz was digging graves at night when he saw two skeletons who were dancing. He thanks Saint Jude Thaddeus with this retablo for they were only having fun and didn’t attack him.

With this humble retablo, my wife Remedios and I want to thank Saint Isidor the Labourer for the good harvest of marigold flowers this year, so we’ll have good sales at the cemeteries on the next Day of the Dead.

Margarito Hernández
Atlixco, Puebla

The night of November 2, I was taking care of some tomes at the cemetery. I received a great shock when I saw with my own eyes a dead man who opened his casket and was ready to get out of it. I prayed the Lord of Chalma for protection and could escape safely. Next time I’m offered a job at the cemetery, I’d rather refuse.

Aquilino Morales
Guanajuato, 1947