Queretaro embellishes Hotel Xcaret Arte in honor of the Day of the Dead

Celebration and Queretaro's Cultural Heritage

A journey through the Mexican celebration of life and death.

We celebrate life through death using altars, music, crafts, and the delightful traditional Queretan cuisine. This year, the Festival of Traditions of Life and Death had the honor of hosting the State of Queretaro as a guest, and today, I'll describe the experience at Hotel Xcaret Arte.

Vibrant tradition.

Our Casa Diseño workshop brimmed with color and tradition during the Otomi embroidery workshop led by artisan Dorotea Soriano Fernandez. This type of embroidery is known for its geometric patterns and abstract divs.

We learned to do cross-stitch and created a small bag perfect for carrying your cell phone everywhere. In addition, the expert Silvya Pascual Garcia shared her knowledge in the workshop 'How to assemble a Lele doll?' In this workshop, we learned the history of the famous Lele doll and created our doll to take home.

The art of kneading and shaping.

Artisan Nicolasa Ricardo Bartolo guided us in the ancient Otomi experience of black clay. We enjoyed connecting with the earth through our hands, creating clay pieces that reminded us of the beauty of handmade things and the satisfaction of creating something from scratch.

Flavors in the Queretan rhythm.

The famous San Juan Market hosted the jarana, violin, and the fifth huapanguera of the Trío Gallardía Huasteca from the community of Chavarrías in Cadereyta, Queretaro. They delighted us with traditional huastecan music during breakfast.

At dinner, two traditional cooks took us on a culinary journey with the authentic Queretan flavor. We enjoyed Xoconostle Mole, green moles, Pumpkin Atole, red Pipián, and Pulque cookies. Of course, wine could not be missing since Queretaro is one of the most important wine regions in Mexico, represented by Cada 'De Cote,' which turned out to be the perfect pairing for the night.

Contemporary tradition.

Chef from Colectivo Xuni Ñöhö, Adrián Regalado, and our in-house Chef, Fanny Ortega, delighted the diners at Kibi Kibi with an 8-course culinary experience. Some dishes included Rabbit Tamale with Xoconostle black mole, pumpkin cream with pumpkin seed, and chilacayota sweet.

We also served ceremonial tortillas, which are traditionally significant in Otomi communities. These tortillas represent more than just food; they serve as conveyors of meaning and a connection to history and culture. Indigenous communities celebrate their identity and pay tribute to their ancestors through rituals and ceremonies.