What to do and where to go on Halloween, and Day of the Dead, in Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya.

The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is an ancient Aztec celebration of the memory of our ancestors that have passed onto the spiritual world. It is celebrated on November 1st, All Saints' Day, and November 2nd, All Souls' Day. The holiday is especially popular here in Mexico where it is a national holiday, but it is also celebrated in the Philippines, and to some extent in other Latin American countries. Brazil celebrates Dia de los Muertos as a public holiday where many Brazilians celebrate it by visiting cemeteries and churches, bringing flowers, lighting candles and praying.

Although it may seem a sad thing to celebrate, even morbid to some, Dia de los Muertos  is celebrated joyfully. Though it occurs at the same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day and All Souls Day, the traditional mood is upbeat and festive with an emphasis on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased. It is a celebration of the continuation of life; the belief is not that death is the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life.

Halloween is a tradition celebrated on the night of October 31, and although many people view it as a holiday for children to dress up and go trick or treating; it has become very popular among adults as well. It is the one time of year that it isn’t looked down upon for adults to play dress up and let their inner child get out and have some serious crazy fun. It is  most commonly celebrated in the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Puerto Rico, but more and more countries each year embrace this now Westernized tradition.  Halloween originated among the Celts in Ireland, Britain and France, and was a Pagan Celtic harvest festival, but various renditions and versions of these traditions were brought to North America in the 19th century.

The term Halloween, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before "All Hallows' Day" (also known as "All Saints' Day"). The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until it was changed by Christian missionaries and was developed into their own interpretation. Halloween has often been associated with magic and the supernatural. Many cultural traditions claim that Halloween is one of the only times of the year when the spirit world can make contact with the physical world and when magic is the most potent and profound.

Because we live in such an international community both Dia de los Muertos and Halloween are celebrated in The Riviera Maya. So check out the activities and festivals below and you will certainly get the best of both worlds as we have parties, parties, and more parties to embrace, and celebrate, our cultural diversity.

Halloween- Tuesday October 31^st

• Bar Ranita-  Bar Ranita will be holding its annual costume party blow out, and this year it is sure to be bigger and better then ever. With live music, a magic show, costume contest, drink specials, and top-notch prizes it is an event not to be missed. The party starts at 8:00 PM and Bar Ranita is located on 10^th Street between 5^th and 10^th Avenues. Click here to check out the video from Halloween 2004 (2005 we were still cleaning up from our friend Wilma!)

• Santanera- Santanera will be holding a HUGE costume ball with some prizes that you just can not miss. Costumes are required so if you do not dress up you will be denied entry! All bottles will be 50 percent off with any reservation.

First Place Prizes include- 1 bottle each of Dom Perignon, Absolut, and Tequila Centenario, dinner for 2 at the Glass Bar, a 2 night stay in Casa Violeta Tulum, 2 passes for an Alltournative tour, and diving instruction with Scuba Libre

Second Place Prizes include- 1 bottle each of Tequila Centenario Anejo, Absolut ( plus 10 Boosts), dinner for 2 at Ula Gula, 2 passes for an Alltournative tour, a 1 hour catamaran and snorkel tour with Dani Sailing.

Third Place Prizes include- 1 bottle each of traditional tequila and Jagerrmeister plus 10 Boosts for Jagerbomb, and dinner for 2 at Diablito Cha Cha Cha

• Bali Club- New club Bali, located just across the street from Santanera on 12th Street, in Playa del Carmen, is hosting their first annual costume ball. Tuesday October 31st come and join the fun and dress up to compete for cash prizes. First prize is 6,000 pesos, second place is 3,000 pesos, and third place is 2,000 pesos. Come and join  the party!
  

• La Buena Vida- Want to get out of Playa del Carmen? La Buena Vida in Akumal will be holding their annual haunted house and costume party which is sure to be a blast. The haunted house will be running October 31^st through November 2^nd and the hours of operation are 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM (sharp!) and entrance costs 50 pesos per person. Costume contest, drink specials, and all around fun will commence on October 31^st  at 7:00 PM.  Be sure not to miss the special fire eating, glass walking, sword swallowing surprise guest. La Buena Vida is located in Akumal on the beachfront of Half Moon Bay, and proceeds from the haunted house go to CEA and Akumal Bay Protection Programs.
• Xcaret- Xcaret will be kicking off a 3 day celebration starting on Tuesday October 31^st. There are so many activities, festivities, and exhibitions that it would be to difficult to list them all so please click here for a complete guide.

All Saint’s Day -Wednesday November 1st

• Candle Light Processional-  Arrive at the Zocalo, near the Cozumel Ferry Terminal, by 5:00 PM, and join in the candle light processional down 5th Avenue. Later end up at La Caldera Cultural Center, located on the corner of 10th Avenue and 26th Street to continue the celebration at 9:00 PM
• The Jam Session- Live music venue, Jam Session, will be celebrating Halloween, and Day of the Dead, on Wednesday with music, 15 peso Coronas, free snacks, and a costume ball. They are located on the corner of 5th Avenue and 40th Street, in Playa del Carmen.

All Soul’s Day-Thursday November 2nd        

• Join the party at Paseo del Carmen at 6:00 PM for music, dancing skeletons, poetry, puppets, and more!
• Kitxen- New hot spot, Kitxen, will have funk jazz fusion music with DJ Polly, Manu Sax, and Caro Voz starting at 9:00 PM on Thursday. They are located on 5th Avenue between Constituyentes and 20th Street in Playa del Carmen. The party continues on Friday November 3rd with Saico, Saul Hernandez, and DJ Bio Funk.
  

Did we miss something? If you know of a celebration that we haven’t included let us know and we will gladly add it to our list! E-mail inquiries or announcements to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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