Day of the Dead: Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Is Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrated in Nicaragua?  Yes, but if you’re expecting sugar skulls and catrina–style skeleton face paint, you’ve come to the wrong place.  This ain’t Mexico.  It’s Nicaragua, and Nicaragüenses celebrate a bit differently.

In 2012 (two years prior to my visit to Nicaragua), I witnessed the celebration of Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca, Mexico – a simultaneously solemn and joyful affair observed on November 1st and 2nd, complete with roving brass bands and dancers circling on the streets, plenty of mezcal for those that cared to imbibe, sand paintings (tapetes) and decorated altares (altars) dedicated to those that had passed on, and markets full of colorful flowers, sugar skulls and towers of pan de muerto (bread of the dead).  In Oaxaca, Halloween culture has also crept into DDLM – many kids and adults wore their cutest or most gruesome costume in the streets and out to parties.

In cemeteries, graves were adorned with offerings of favorite personal items and foods of the departed.  Families often stayed late into the night eating, drinking, talking and singing around the graves.

Out in the street for Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca, Mexico, in 2012.

Nicaraguan Dia de los Muertos hasn’t received anywhere near as much attention on the internet nor in travel guidebooks.  Curious to know more, I asked Nicaraguan locals and other travelers – where was the best place to witness/celebrate DDLM in Nicaragua?  I was rewarded with more shrugs than tips.  Locals seemed somewhat confused in why I would be interested at all, and most travelers really couldn’t help me.  Hmm.  From what I was gathering, there just wasn’t that much going on anywhere – or at least nothing like what I had seen in Mexico.  And that’s fine and understandable – the holiday has Mexican origins, after all.

I couldn’t find convincing evidence that one Nicaraguan city was a better choice than another for observation of Dia de los Muertos, so I stayed on track with my itinerary and found myself in the northwestern city of Matagalpa at the beginning of November.

A mural of political heroes in Matagalpa.

On November 2nd, 2014, I made a visit to the city cemetery in Matagalpa.  The front desk of my hostel seemed confused when I asked how to best get there.  “The cemetery will be really busy right now”, they told me, strangely attempting to dissuade me from going.  I went anyway, via a taxi ride to the cemetery entrance, and found that DDLM in Matagalpa was by no means off-limits and was quite a friendly and accessible place to be.

Vendors were selling flowers at the gates.  Families were repainting/maintaining graves, arranging and planting flowers around each unique grave.  People were smiling, enjoying their Sunday with their loved ones.  Kids were running around playing games amongst the graves.  Dress was casual.  Food was available for purchase inside and outside the cemetery.

Below are some of the results of a few hours of meandering through the busy cemetery.

Matagalpa’s Day of the Dead – Selected Photos

My expectation is that Dia de los Muertos is similar in other cities in Nicaragua – first and foremost a reason for family to get together in order to pay respects to the dead.

Have you celebrated/witnessed the Day of the Dead in Nicaragua or in other parts of Central America?  Relate your story or your favorite city to visit for the goings-on below in comments and we’ll try to build up a little more information on the topic to share with others.  Thanks!