Boy Luis plays with a skeleton boy. Look after him, Virgin.

Unrested souls sometimes appear in don Pepe’s canteen. They drink, dance and sing. You, Virgin of Guadalupe, please make them rest in peace or make them dance and do their rowdy parties somewhere else. The people got used to this and say: there is mezcal for everything good, and for everything bad, as well, and if there’s no remedy, a liter and a half would help. And don Pepe says: the dead into the pits, the living to enjoy. Holy Virgin, let them rest.

Tultepec, state of Mexico

My son and I are from the United States, but we love Mexican culture, especially everything related to the traditions of the Day of the Dead. I’m infinitely grateful to Saint Christopher, with this exvoto, for we managed to travel to the Mexico City and enjoyed the parade of Katrinas and skeletons. It was a very beautiful and colorful experience.

We salute sr. Malverde at the feast of the Skull.

Pascual Torres pays with this retablo to Jesus Malverde giving thanks for delivering me from a skull-woman.

Sonora, 1939

Inocencio Fernandez was in the bar, being well drunk after a lot of mezcal. He began to see many skeletons. They came close to him, and one of them asked “Why you are alone?” It was the Death in person who tried to take him. He thanks Saint Michael for he could escape safe and sound, running out of the bar, before dying on that November 2. He promised to amend his ways.

Tlaxcala, Mexico

Thanks for nothing happened to us that night when the skeleton came.

My husband loved to get drunk in a canteen, and he did it very frequently. But one day he met the Huerta brothers’ skeletons there. They had died because of drinking. They invited him to drink for a good life. I thank the Blessed Sacrament because my husband stopped drinking of fright and now only drinks some beer once a while.

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, we ask you for the unrest souls who some night pass along the embankment, always having parties. My Mother, give them rest and eternal peace.

Virgin of Guadalupe, thank you for I didn’t sin with a very hot skeleton woman who came to me in the field. I wanted to take her in the field so bad but you delivered me from doing the bad thing.

Nicanor Lopez
Celaya, 1956

The Day of the Dead, I decided to put an altar for my recently deceased wife and I cooked her favorite dishes. At night I heard some voice calling me. I went to the sitting-room and I saw, to my astonishment, that it was my wife scolding me for bad cooking and oversalting the food. I thank Saint Michael the Archangel for it was only that night when I saw my grumpy complaining wife, since she was also unbearable when she was alive.

Aniceto Ruiz ~ Puebla

The great wrestler El Santo thanks the Virgin of Guadalupe for delivering him from the evil that attacked him and wanted to take him away.

Mexico City, Mexico, 1965

Raul Contreras and Gaudencio Blanco pay the Virgin of Guadalupe with this retablo for saving them from death in the desert. For this favor, they pay with this.

Tijuana, 1960