The gravedigger Agustin Fernandez was at the cemetery and suddenly a skeleton appeared to him and forced him to dance. He thanks Saint Augustine for the skeleton didn’t take him and he’s already recovered after the shock.

On our way back from the grand mother Martina’s house, we had to pass near the cemetery. We met an rest soul there. Ut started chasing us, and we ran in fright parking to the Virgin of Zapopan. Thanks to her nobody of us got sick with fear and I didn’t have miscarriage at five month of pregnancy. We dedicate this retablo.

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

My father didn’t like that I was going out with Raul. But we loved each other. So we kept dating, but we met at the cemetery at night so nobody from the town would see us. One of those nights, we saw a couple of skeletons. They came out of their graves, and he was swearing her his eternal love. We were so overwhelmed with what we saw, the next day, I announced to my father that if he wouldn’t allow Raul visiting me at home, I’d run with him (?). Thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe he understood me, so we can date openly.

Higinio Snachez was taking care of the graves when suddenly the skeleton of his mother-in-wife appeared to him and gave him her jewelry. Higinio thanks the Holy Child of Atocha because his mother-in-law at least after dying stopped being a bitch.

One night, my friend Bryan and I decided to sneak into the cemetery and pass few beers there. Nothing frightened us at all. We were joking when suddenly we heard a voice “Don’t be mean, pass me a beer!” We turned around and saw that it was a dead man. We thank the Virgin of Zapopan for we ran out of the cemetery safely. We promise to pay more respect to the dead.

Kevin Hernández
Zapopan, Jalisco

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.

I took Dorita for a boat ride down the river. I planed to read her some poetry and declare my love to her. But when we passed the old cemetery down the river we saw dead men. They had come out their grave and were dancing, gathering flowers and waving to us. Dorita was so frightened that I though she’d never accept my proposal after this ride. However, thank to the Virgin of Guadalupe she agreed to marry me despite everything.

That dark night in November, my family and I had to ride through the cemetery. We got scared as many skeletons, ghosts and dead men appeared to us. They looked threatening. We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for her protection and because she gave our horse more speed so the dead didn’t get us.

Catarino Menendes was going through the cemetery and met his mother-in-law’s soul. She wanted to grab him, so he prayed Saint Jude for protection. The old witch didn’t get him, and he thanks for this mayor favor although he lost his sombrero hat and his bottle of tequila.

Puebla, 1915

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

The boys Jorge and Toño Menendez were playing at the cemetery, and two skeletons appeared to them. They wanted to bite the kids. The boys prayed to St. Nicholas and managed to escape safe and sound. They thank for that with the retablo.

I went to put some flowers on the grave of my grandmother Lupita. I stayed at the cemetery till late night contemplating about my troubles. Suddenly some skeletons appeared and invited me to dance with them. I almost fainted of fear. But the skeletons were real gentlemen and hold me. They almost dragged me to their macabre party. I prayed to Saint Michael the Archangel, and he came with his bright sword. The skeletons saw him and ran ashamed and hid themselves in their tombs. I thank for I haven’t gone cuckoo after that.