| El Panteón (cemetery) is the most popular place in Catemaco to spend the "Day of the Dead". Located west of the federal highway crossing the city, the graveyard is almost at its maximum occupancy. Established in the 1930's, this is third version of a graveyard in Catemaco. There are no historical graves. Some graves from the previous sites were apparently transferred to the new cemetery, but I have not found anything dating earlier than the 1900's. Even today, the local custom is to reuse grave sites if they fall into abandon. The cemetery presents a microcosm of the city itself, featuring substantial mansions next to hovels. Bad planning makes it almost impossible to visit individual graves without stepping on a few other dead people. Although a member of the city council directs the cemetery and there is a maintenance staff, the cemetery is a perpetual eyesore, mosquito infested, littered with trash and overgrown by weeds. Only on the days of the Dia de Muertos, is the cemetery cleaned up and decorated with an abundance of glorious flowers and throngs of picnicking mourners. |
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| The oldest grave? Obviously the stone carver made a mistake Population growth in the last few decades and cost of grave sites has led to extreme overcrowding. Within a few years the city will have to acquire more land to bury its dead. Meantime, multiple vertical burials in a single site are becoming more popular. Ironically, Catemaco's best known brujo, supposedly in pact with the devil, occupies one of the nicer sites in the park. |
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| El Panteón Catemaco, Veracruz |
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