It’s time again for the Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, as it’s known in Spanish. Not to be confused with Halloween, the Day of the Dead is a celebration all its own, with ceremonies and traditions that are completely distinct from those of Halloween. On the Day of the Dead, Mexican families invite back the souls of their deceased family members and loved ones for a day of reunion and celebration.

Mexican tradition holds that, on midnight of October 31st, the gates of Heaven open and the souls of departed children can join their families for a happy day of reunion. The same happens for departed adults at midnight on November 1st. The Day of the Dead gained wider recognition upon the release of the Pixar hit, Coco, which centers around one family’s Día de los Muertos experience, and features many key aspects and traditions surrounding this lively and festive holiday.

If you’re interested in experiencing some authentic Day of the Dead celebration, here are five of Mexico‘s best destinations for experiencing this commemorative celebration fusing ancient Aztec traditions with Catholicism during the days — and sometimes weeks — around the first and second of November.

Home to the world’s only museum dedicated to death, this city situated in central Mexico is famous for its colonial heritage and architecture, bullfighters, wine, hot springs (hence the name) and its annual Festival de las Calaveras (Festival of Skulls) which runs from the last week of October through the first week of November. During the festival concerts, plays, exhibitions and a range of events fill the city’s calendar.

Ever bustling Mexico City grants easy access to a rich cultural offering of traditional and contemporary festivities. Visitors will find special Dia de los Muertos events happening across the greater metropolitan area for all ages, budgets and persuasions. Look for the biggest and most popular activities going on in and and around the Zócalo, Mexico City’s historic and central “main plaza.”

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A sleepy, rural village but technically still within the sprawl of Mexico City, Mixquic is a great location to visit for a dose of traditional culture without having to stray too far from the bright lights of the big city. The whole community gets in on the act here with the village library opening up well into the night for visitors to view a range of ofrendas and related displays.

A popular destination at anytime of year, Oaxaca City pulls out all the stops during Dia de los Muertos. Think vibrant color, excellent food and an all night carnival atmosphere. You’ll see ofrendas (altars) and skeletons lining the streets, and families visiting cemeteries to clean and decorate the graves of their departed loved ones. You’ll also see comparsas, traditional parades that celebrate the return of the dead. The comparsas feature costumed performers and musicians winding their way through the streets all around the center of the city.

Located in the state of Michoacán, the small town of Pátzcuaro sits near the lake which shares the same name. Day of the Dead observances here intensely adhere to age old local customs with a range of events taking place throughout town, along the lake shore and even on the lake as well as the tiny island of Janitzio.