Authorities on Janitzio, a small island in the Mexican state of Michoacan, have barred tourists from its cemetery for the first time this year, after crowds of visitors were blamed for damaging the burial ground ahead of Day of the Dead.
The island's community council reported that damaged tombs, crosses and sections of the cemetery's perimeter wall had collapsed under the flood of people. Entry is limited to local families and friends of the people buried there.
UNESCO recognized the celebrations on Janitzio, which sits on a lake in central Mexico, as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.
A wider strain from tourism
The closure reflects a wider strain as the holiday draws more international attention. Michoacan and Oaxaca have seen an influx of tourists, and some regions have experienced tensions over overtourism.
In Mexico City, many residents are skeptical of the annual parade of floats decorated with catrinas, the elegant skeleton figures. The procession was invented for the 2015 James Bond film Spectre and only later became part of the capital's celebrations.
How the holiday is observed
Festivities start in October and build to Nov. 1 and 2, when the souls of the dead are believed to return briefly to their families. On the night of Nov. 1, relatives gather at cemeteries nationwide, as their ancestors have for centuries.
The first observance cannot be dated, but its roots lie in pre-Hispanic beliefs tied to agriculture. Catholic traditions were folded in after the Spanish conquest of 1521.
Modern customs include home altars stocked with photos, treats, food and mezcal, along with pan de muerto, or bread of the dead, in bakery cases. Orange cempasuchil marigolds cover streets and markets, their color believed to light the way back for the dead.
