Very soon the streets of Patzcuaro and many other small towns in Mexico will begin to fill with the color and smells of long stemmed marigolds and celosia in preparation for the most important holiday of the year, Dia de Muertos. I took this photo two years ago on the cobblestone street near the upper plaza of Patzcuaro. The sunny yellow gold and the bright magenta color combination are universal Muertos flower combinations across Mexico and will be used to decorate the home ofrenda, create paths for the returning souls to follow home, create lovely pictures in the plaza of San Miguel de Allende (and other places) and to decorate the cemetery & gravesites on the day and evening of November 1 or 2.

The traditions of Dia de Muertos vary across regions, states and towns of Mexico but one thing you will always find are these flowers.