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.

May your purity be blessed for ever, Virgin Mary. Thanks to you we have sold our house which we just bought shortly before. The house is cursed! Ghost, phantasms, skeletons and many others tortured me and my wife at night. I humbly thank you and bring you this retablo.

1953, Motul, Yucatan

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.

Thanks to the Holy Child of Atocha for saving me from dying from thirst in the desert and for guiding me through it.

Chihuahua — January 12, 1939

One very dark night, my cat refused to go outside to eat. So I took him out, and then—God almighty!—I saw a witch and a skeleton flying over. They wanted to take my cat Sweety. I entrusted myself to Saint Francis of Assisi, and they went away.

Jacinta Ramirez
The Wild Mule ranch, Jalisco — June 5, 1979

Thank you, Virgin, for the death isn’t like I thought at all.

Lucas

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.

Señora Maria Rodrigues had the same dream every night that she woke up in a coffin at the cemetery and skeletons try to put her down in the grave. She prayed to the Virgin of Guadalupe and now thanks because she heard her and delivered her from those nightmares.

Mexico City, 1958

A skeleton played with my toys. Thanks for he didn’t damaged them.

Luisa, 1971

Christ of the neighborhood, I ask you, from the bottom of my heart, protect the gang.

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.