Cleaning Bones for Day of the Dead

Practitioners of an annual ritual to clean deceased relatives’ bones are grappling with a new challenge: tourists. Jack Nicas, our Mexico City bureau chief, visits Pomuch, a town in Eastern Mexico that celebrates Día de Muertos unlike any other place.

By Jack Nicas, Marian Carrasquero, Leila Medina, Rebecca Suner and Stephanie Swart

November 2, 2025