Mixquic, Mexico City

To the south of Mexico City is the village of San Andres Míxquic. Originally, this was an island in the center of Lake Chalco, populated by the indigenous Náhuas at the end of the twelfth century, a hundred and fifty years before the founding of Tenochtitlán. The village's name has two possible meanings: Near the Clouds, or a derivation from the Mesquite trees, used by ancient peoples in body mortification rituals. The village we see today was built on the remains of an ancient site, and objects dating back to before the Spanish conquest are unearthed every time construction work is undertaken. However, Míxquic is much more famous for its highly customary celebration of the Day of the Dead, held annually on the second day of November.