STORY: Catrinas and skulls dominated on Saturday (Oct 31) Mexico City’s festivities of the Day of the Dead with a massive, colorful parade.

The Day of the Dead parade, a must-see among the capital city’s activities to mark the holiday, featured floats and bands parading in festivity-inspired costumes, including skulls and catrinas.

Day of the Dead is a celebration to honor and welcome back the spirits of deceased loved ones. It is primarily observed in Mexico and parts of Latin America, including Bolivia, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

The tradition has two roots. One is Catholic, where All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are celebrated on Nov 1 and 2. The other comes from indigenous Mesoamerican cultures.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (OCTOBER 31, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. PARTICIPANTS DRESSED AS CATRINAS PARADING

2. VARIOUS OF FLASH MIRROR SKULLS PARTICIPATING AT THE PARADE

3. CATRINAS DANCING AT PARADE

4. CATRINA PARADING

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ATTENDEE, MONICA MONTES, SAYING:

“It’s very exciting, and it seems to grow more every year. Each year different tourists and different countries come.”

6. TACO-THEMED FLOAT PARADING

7. BATUCADA DRUMMERS PLAYING AT PARADE

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED ATTENDEE, SAYING:

“We saw a lot of posts from friends about their trips here, with this wonderful festival atmosphere, and that looks amazing. Those driving parades and costumes are impressive. So we thought about coming a long time ago, and finally we found a good opportunity to come.”

9. PEOPLE DRESSED AS SKULLS ON STILTS

10. CHILDREN’S GAMES DEPICTED BY SKELETON FIGURES

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PARTICIPANT, ISIS, SAYING:

“It’s my second time in the parade, and for me it means representing our band, coming here and being part of the Day of the Dead.”

12. VARIOUS OF PARADE IN PROGRESS

13. ATTENDEES FOLLOWING PARADE