Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán is a small city and municipality located 5 km from the state capital of Oaxaca in the south of Mexico.

[4][5] There have been efforts to preserve and promote the municipality’s ancient traditions such as “martes de brujas” (Witch Tuesdays) and local customs associated with Day of the Dead.

[3][6] The city of Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán is the seat and governing authority for over sixty other named localities[7] covering a territory of 76.55 square kilometres (29.56 sq mi).

[4] The Oaxaca City airport, officially the “Aeropuerto Internacional Xoxocotlán,” (IATA code OAX) is located in this municipality and served approximately 600,000 passengers in 2008.

[8] Sometimes the airport is the target of protests such as when residents of the municipality of Ozolotepec blocked the entrance to demand the dissolution of the government of Arturo Garcia.

[10] The Universidades Pedagógicas Nacionales has a campus in the municipality located in the seat, offering degrees in pedagogy for teachers from primary to high school.

[2] According to historian Francisco Javier Clavijero, the first people to inhabit this area were Mixtecs who came from Achiutla and Tilantongo sent by a ruler named Szahuindanda in 1067 C.E.

[2] Despite federal regulations put into place to protect Mexican antiquities in the 19th century, many sites in Oaxaca lost valuable pieces, often due to cooperation from local authorities.

The confrontation was over the expropriation of land in the San Antonio Arrazola neighborhood to be used as a secondary school and the mismanagement of municipal funds.

Twelve lay religious leaders called “mayordomos” are selected each year to lead neighborhood celebrations such as saints’ days.

A dish prepared for Day of the Dead is called pletatamal, which is of Mixtec origin and dates back to the Monte Albán era.

After the burial, a novena is said and after the nine days of prayers, a “carpet” of colored sand is created with religious images and a depiction of the Twelve Passions of Christ.

The tradition of “Witch Tuesdays” dates back to the colonial period when Friar Domingo de Santamaría promoted the construction of a church with volunteers working nights.

Women would come to offer tamales and atole to the volunteers, lighting their way with a type of lamp called a “bruja”, which contained a candle protected by paper shields.

[3] Day of the Dead commemorations extend from 31 October to 2 November and even the poorest in the municipality save money in order to adorn graves with flowers and offer cigarettes, mole, chocolate and other things.

[18] Those who have loved ones buried in the local cemeteries decorate the tombs with flower petals, candles, ceramic skulls and other items and maintain nightly vigils from about 5 or 6 in the evening until the next morning, with food and drink to sustain them.

[17] On 31 October, exactly at 3pm, church bells ring a chorus called “Los Angelitos” (little angels) and braziers with copal burn by the altars.

On the 31st at 11pm at the Church of Santa Elena de la Cruz, a procession with an image of San Sebastian winds through the streets to the Panteon Antiguo (Old Cemetery) where the first chapel built for the community was constructed in the 17th century.

[3] At 10pm, in the center of the San Sebastian cemetery, a Catholic brotherhood known as “La Capilla” holds a prayer service accompanied by Latin chants.

[18] On 2 November, the altars are dismantled and the offerings are shared among family and friends as the adult dead return to “mucu amm” or the underworld in Mixtec, which is located in the center of the Earth.

The altar was surrounded by numerous “sand carpets,” such as those associated with traditional funerals, most with Christian themes but also included one depicting the pre-Hispanic belief of a route to the land of the dead.