One of the activities that has gained significant national and international recognition in recent years is the Day of the Dead festivities held in the Huasteca region of Potosí, such as the Xantolo. These festivities have already crossed borders and seek to gain more followers in different parts of the country and the world.
That’s why, for 2025, the State Secretariat of Culture will bring this Xantolo festival to Morelia and Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, on October 18 and 19, in addition to being celebrated from October 24 to 26 in the capital of Potosí.
This initiative is part of the unlimited drive to preserve, safeguard, and disseminate the traditions that give identity to the Huasteca region in different parts of the country, and to share this tradition in one of the regions where these festivities are deeply rooted internationally.
The head of the agency, Mario García Valdez, reported that the projection of this holiday will be carried out in coordination with the Government of Michoacán and will include exhibitions, discussions about the Day of the Dead, parades, rituals, and an extensive cultural program that will showcase the richness of this ancient tradition to a national audience.
It should be noted that this tradition already visited the city of Chicago in the United States last year, in addition to being a guest country in Puebla, and as a guest country in Colombia, where a little more was learned about this tradition from the Huasteca Potosina region.
Xantolo is the Day of the Dead variant celebration native to the Huasteca region of Mexico. Of pre-Hispanic origin, this celebration honors death and is also one of the two most important Nahua festivals in the region.
The festival typically begins each year from October 30th to November 2nd in the towns that make up this region, which encompasses several states in the country such as Hidalgo, Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosí.
People believe that during these days, the souls of the deceased return invisibly to the world of the living, so it is necessary to welcome them with respect.
Source: oem
