Day of the Dead: How Michoacán protects its cultural heritage from mass tourism

This comic celebrates the community of Michoacán and its way of preserving the Day of the Dead, in the face of commercialization by mass tourism.

November 1, 2026

Ana KareninaGeo González

Anna Karenina

Edited by: María Eugenia Ludueña

MEXICO CITY, Mexico. Every November 1st and 2nd, Mexico is filled with marigolds, candles, and offerings to welcome those who have passed on. The Day of the Dead is one of the deepest expressions of Mexican identity, but in recent years mass tourism has changed how this tradition is celebrated in many regions.

In Michoacán, the communities that have maintained the celebration for generations strive to ensure that the festival remains, above all, an intimate act of remembrance and connection with their deceased loved ones. This comic shows you how they achieve this and what they do to protect the spirit of this ancestral tradition from the pressures of international tourism.

Swipe to see the full gallery >>>

We are present

We are committed to journalism that delves into the territories and conducts thorough investigations, combined with new technologies and narrative formats. We want the protagonists, their stories, and their struggles to be present.