Mausoleum wall in Guanajuato, Mexico

Hundreds of square cemetery plots dot a wall. Many of the squares contain flowers and other momentos. Guanajuato has a large and celebrated panteón, or mausoleum, for the internment of the city's dead. The composition of the soil in Guanajuato promotes natural mummification of the corpses interred in the panteón. The city charges a fee for internment. When families are unable to afford the fee, their deceased relatives are exhumed and placed on display in a museum on the panteón's grounds. The panteón then uses the mummies to earn revenue from tourists.Funeral rites in Mexico are often very elaborate. Many people decorate gravestones of their relatives and create very festive remembrances of their dearly departed. The Day of the Dead (November 1) is an annual day-long celebration of death, replete with parades, parties, and visits to cemeteries.