A procession from Reforma to the Zócalo
The Gran Desfile de Día de Muertos began at 2 p.m. at the Diana Cazadora fountain on Paseo de la Reforma and finished at the Zócalo. According to the Mexico City government and the capital's Culture Secretariat, more than 4,000 participants took part, accompanied by 12 floats and two monumental globes.
This year's tributes recognized Mexican cultural figures Juan Gabriel, Juan Rulfo, Nellie Campobello and Emilio "El Indio" Fernández. The city's official program also included references to the Red Queen of Palenque, lucha libre-themed vehicles and a special UNICEF contingent.
At the Zócalo, an 11-story Catrina, an elegantly dressed female skeleton, formed part of the festivities, AFP reported. The city government described the work as a 32-meter cartonería sculpture honoring José Guadalupe Posada's Catrina.
Remembrance at homes and graves
The capital's large street procession is a recent addition to a centuries-old tradition of remembering the dead with altars and flowers. Other Mexican cities also stage costumed parades ahead of Día de Muertos.
On November 1 and 2, families set out colorful offerings at home and decorate graves to honor deceased relatives. Indigenous beliefs shape the observance, which takes place around the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. In the tradition, the souls of departed family members return from the afterlife to visit.
UNESCO placed the Indigenous festival tradition on its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2008.
How a film scene became a city event
The opening of "Spectre" (2015) depicted a Day of the Dead procession through Mexico City before such a parade existed there in real life. The city subsequently introduced one as a tourist attraction, holding the first edition in 2016. El País reported that about 250,000 people attended.
Then-Mayor Miguel Ángel Mancera organized that inaugural parade. Mancera, whose term ran from 2012 to 2018, told AFP: "It was an adventure." Another film, Pixar's "Coco" (2017), also helped bring the Day of the Dead to international audiences.
The parade was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Wikipedia. It returned in 2021 with preventive measures.
