Mexico City’s Day of the Dead celebrations draw massive crowds with vibrant parades, marigold‑filled streets, and elaborately painted skeletons.
The festivities run from October through November 1‑2, when people believe the souls of departed loved ones return to earth, a tradition that blends pre‑Hispanic agricultural rites with Catholic practices introduced after the 1521 conquest.
The central parade, featuring floats adorned with catrinas, was created for the 2015 James Bond film “Spectre” and later added to the city’s annual events, a change that many locals view skeptically.
In Janitzio, a lake island in Michoacan recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, authorities closed the cemetery to tourists after reports that flood‑driven crowds damaged tombs and walls, allowing only local families to enter.
Rising international interest and tourism in regions such as Oaxaca and Michoacan have sparked concerns about overtourism and its impact on the cultural integrity of the celebrations.
Source: abc7.com
