Cancún, Quintana Roo – The Museo Maya de Cancún will mark its 14th anniversary with two days of free cultural activities centered on Hanal Pixán, the Maya tradition of preparing food and offerings to welcome the souls of deceased family members.
The anniversary celebration will take place October 31 and November 1 at the museum and the adjoining San Miguelito archaeological site in Cancún’s Hotel Zone. Organizers are planning altars, traditional copal incense, storytelling, workshops, lectures, visual art, music, dance and other presentations connected to Maya beliefs surrounding death and remembrance.
Rather than presenting a program created entirely by the museum, organizers have opened the anniversary celebration to artists, educators and community groups. Visual artists, musicians, dancers, craftspeople, filmmakers, storytellers and schools are invited to submit proposals for inclusion in the program.
Proposed activities must relate to Hanal Pixán or Maya cultural heritage. Applications will be accepted through September 1, 2026, using the museum’s online registration form. Information is also available by calling 998 240 9498 or emailing maria_rojo@inah.gob.mx. The museum has said all activities presented during the celebration will be free to the public.
Hanal Pixán translates from Yucatec Maya as “food for the souls.” Although it coincides with Mexico’s broader Day of the Dead observances, the tradition has its own Maya customs, foods and symbolism.
Families traditionally prepare an altar with candles, flowers, photographs and items associated with the deceased. Food is central to the observance, including seasonal dishes such as mucbipollo or pib, a large tamal traditionally cooked underground. The celebration generally begins on October 31 with a day dedicated to deceased children, followed by observances for adults on November 1 and, in many communities, a final day honoring all departed souls on November 2.
The anniversary program continues a connection established when the museum opened on November 2, 2012, during the Hanal Pixán season. Previous celebrations have included community altars, academic talks, workshops, performances and discussions about the survival and adaptation of Maya traditions in modern Quintana Roo.
In 2025, the museum’s 13th-anniversary activities also focused on Hanal Pixán. That program included lectures examining the meaning of the tradition and the continuing importance of ancestor worship in Maya communities, according to Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History.
The Museo Maya de Cancún houses one of Mexico’s most important collections of Maya archaeological material. Its permanent galleries cover the history of Quintana Roo and the wider Maya region, with objects recovered from archaeological sites across the Yucatán Peninsula.
A visit to the museum also includes access to San Miguelito, an ancient settlement located within the same grounds. Archaeologists have uncovered residential structures, a palace associated with the rain god Chaac and nearly 50 burials at the site. Objects found there include ceramics and pieces made from obsidian, quartz, coral and conch shell, evidence of the community’s participation in regional trade. INAH dates the settlement to approximately eight centuries ago.
The museum is located at Kilometer 16.5 of Boulevard Kukulcán. It normally opens Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with final admission to the archaeological site at 4:30 p.m. Current visitor information is available through INAH. Specific hours for the October 31 and November 1 anniversary activities will be announced closer to the event.
