The Mexican capital celebrates the Day of the Dead

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, held its first Day of the Dead parade since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic on October 31.

At 12 noon that day, the procession departed from the capital's Syntagma Square and headed along the Reforma Avenue, passing the Angel of Independence Monument to the vicinity of Chapultepec Park. The total length of the line is nearly 9 kilometers, and during the three-hour parade, floats with themes such as skeleton images and Aztec culture slowly pass by, and dancers dressed in traditional costumes and walk with the team to a happy beat. According to the Mexico City Government, about a million people visit the parade.

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sinbaum said through social media on the same day that the Day of the Dead parade was divided into four sections: "Tenochtitlan City - Heart of Mexico", "Mexico City Today", "Magic and Tradition" and "Celebrating for Life".

"Celebrating Life" is also the slogan of this year's Mexico City Day of the Dead series, which is intended to pay tribute to the frontline medical workers in the fight against the epidemic.

In 2020, celebrations such as the Day of the Dead parade and market in Mexico City were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the epidemic in Mexico has continued to ease, and the risk level of the epidemic in most state-level administrative units in the capital has been reduced to the minimum, and various activities have gradually resumed.

Every year, November 1 and 2 is one of the most grand and unique festivals in Mexico. In that year, after the Spanish colonists came to Mexico, they combined the Halloween tradition in the West with the local indigenous customs to create the Day of the Dead. In 2003, UNESCO inscribed the Mexican Day of the Dead as an intangible cultural heritage. Inspired by the 2015 Hollywood blockbuster 007: Ghost Party, the Mexican City Government decided in 2016 to hold a massive parade to celebrate the Day of the Dead, which is the fifth year this year. (End)