(Reuters) – Mexican flower growers are preparing for bumper sales of marigolds for the upcoming Day of the Dead celebrations, helped by the return of public events after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marigolds, called cempasuchil in Mexico, are known as the “flower of the dead” and their scent is believed to attract the souls of the dead back into the land of the living.
In the flower-producing district of Xochimilco in Mexico City, workers have been transporting the bright orange flowers through canals to flower markets, where they are snapped up by families to decorate houses and Day of the Dead altars.
“We have always planted marigolds from the time of our ancestors,” said local flower grower Cristobal Garcia. “It is said that the color and the aroma make our dead visit us.”
Like many other industries, marigold growers have been hit hard by higher costs – including a jump in the price of fertilizer. But a return to public celebrations after two years of pandemic restrictions is expected to offer a boost to sales.
The “Dia de Muertos,” “Dia de Difuntos,” or All Souls’ Day – marked on Nov. 2 – interweaves Spanish influences with indigenous ancestor worship in Latin America, especially in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, which have large indigenous populations.
In Mexico, the marigolds are placed alongside candy skulls, chocolate coffins, paper-mache skeletons and photographs of the deceased at the altars. Cakes, tequila and cigarettes are also offered up to entice a dead relative to return.
(Reporting by Josue Gonzalez in Mexico City; Writing by Deepa Babington; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
