Since the Aztecs ruled this region of the country, Mercado de Jamaica has been a center of commerce. Even now, when cars and subways traverse the lakebed that was once navigable only by canoe, the flower market is still visited by Mexico City residents 365 days a year. Mostly, they come for the flowers—from sweet, palm-sized bouquets to cripplingly large funeral arrangements.
Forget your long-stemmed roses. During Dia de los Muertos season, which typically begins during the second week of October and culminates on November 1, flowers traditionally used to honor the dead are moved in the thousands. Pickup trucks arrive stacked with the fuchsia, cerebellum-like moco de pavo (cockscomb), fluffy white nube (baby’s breath), and, of course, the Aztecs’ iconic orange marigold, the cempasuchil.
But buds alone aren’t enough to honor your departed—so vendors typically selling produce and party decorations add altar supplies to their stock in October. My friends and I copped sugar skulls, tissue sheaves of papel picado, copal incense, candles, and cunning marzipan in the shape of fruit that we shame-ate before leaving the market.
Later that night, we built a tribute to the thousands who have disappeared due to the untoward allegiance between the country’s government and drug cartel forces, including the 43 student activists who were recently kidnapped in the state of Guerrero. We added artifacts that symbolized the diversity of the lost Mexicans: bras, hammers, children’s toys, and a strategically folded newspaper.
The process is far from somber, and that’s the rad thing about this holiday: you celebrate the dead with beautiful things as bright as the lives they left behind.
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Calaveritas, or sugar skulls, are one of the most recognizable signs of the Dia de los Muertos in Mexico. You can even find these cute-creepy sweets shaped like owls and pumpkins at Mercado de Jamaica. Quotes and photos by Caitlin Donohue![]()
Everybody's gotta take breaks during the work day, especially if they involved chile-spiced bags of botanas (snacks). ![]()
A stand of calabazas de castila (pumpkins) lie in wait, ready to stock your soup shelf or have a freaky face carved into them. This market is also one of Mexico City's great one-stop Halloween shopping spots. ![]()
During the spooky season, produce vendors diversify with ghoulish piñatas. You want 'em, they've got 'em. ![]()
A pastry vendor rests by towering stacks of moco de pavo (cockscomb) and cempasuchil (marigold), brought in especially for Dia de los Muertos holiday shoppers.![]()
We left it to this vendor to separate our sheathes of delicate papel picado from her stock. The cut paper designs are altar must-haves. ![]()
Flowers come from all over the country to the market, 365 days a year. They wind up as arrangements in luxury hotels, and during Dia de los Muertos season, on domestic altars for deceased friends and family members. ![]()
Forget your long-stemmed roses. During Dia de los Muertos season, which typically begins during the second week of October and culminates on November 1, flowers traditionally used to honor the dead are moved in the thousands. Pickup trucks arrive stacked with the fuchsia, cerebellum-like moco de pavo (cockscomb), fluffy white nube (baby’s breath), and, of course, the Aztecs’ iconic orange marigold, the cempasuchil.
But buds alone aren’t enough to honor your departed—so vendors typically selling produce and party decorations add altar supplies to their stock in October. My friends and I copped sugar skulls, tissue sheaves of papel picado, copal incense, candles, and cunning marzipan in the shape of fruit that we shame-ate before leaving the market.
Later that night, we built a tribute to the thousands who have disappeared due to the untoward allegiance between the country’s government and drug cartel forces, including the 43 student activists who were recently kidnapped in the state of Guerrero. We added artifacts that symbolized the diversity of the lost Mexicans: bras, hammers, children’s toys, and a strategically folded newspaper.
The process is far from somber, and that’s the rad thing about this holiday: you celebrate the dead with beautiful things as bright as the lives they left behind.
Calaveritas, or sugar skulls, are one of the most recognizable signs of the Dia de los Muertos in Mexico. You can even find these cute-creepy sweets shaped like owls and pumpkins at Mercado de Jamaica. Quotes and photos by Caitlin Donohue
Everybody's gotta take breaks during the work day, especially if they involved chile-spiced bags of botanas (snacks). 
A stand of calabazas de castila (pumpkins) lie in wait, ready to stock your soup shelf or have a freaky face carved into them. This market is also one of Mexico City's great one-stop Halloween shopping spots. 
During the spooky season, produce vendors diversify with ghoulish piñatas. You want 'em, they've got 'em. 
A pastry vendor rests by towering stacks of moco de pavo (cockscomb) and cempasuchil (marigold), brought in especially for Dia de los Muertos holiday shoppers.
We left it to this vendor to separate our sheathes of delicate papel picado from her stock. The cut paper designs are altar must-haves. 
Flowers come from all over the country to the market, 365 days a year. They wind up as arrangements in luxury hotels, and during Dia de los Muertos season, on domestic altars for deceased friends and family members. 