Mexico City, Nov. 1, (dpa/GNA) – Mexico began celebrating the Day of the Dead on Friday with illuminated skeletons, skulls and sweets to commemorate their deceased relatives over the two Catholic holidays of All Saints and All Souls on November 1 and 2.
Colourful altars are set up in homes to welcome the souls of the dead who return home temporarily according to popular belief.
In the centre of Mexico City, 21 cardboard figures up to 10 metres in height were erected as part of a large “offering” for the deceased, with crowds of tourists joining in the celebrations.
Graves are lavishly decorated in certain states, such as Oaxaca in the south, which is popular with tourists. Flower petals and candles are set out to help guide the dead home, and many families spend the entire night at the graveside.
On Saturday, a parade of floats is due to be held in Mexico City, accompanied by dancing skulls and celebrants dressed up as elegant skeletons. At least 10,000 people in fancy dress are expected with seven floats, according to the city authorities.
The parade, which leads along a route of 8 kilometres from Chapultepec park to Zócalo square, was instituted by the city in 2016.
The UN cultural organization UNESCO included the custom in its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
The celebration is seen as a merging of pre-colonial rites and Catholic holidays introduced in the 16th century. The festival also coincides with the end of the harvest.
Some local authorities implemented restrictions on Halloween costumes the night before the Day of the Dead festivities got under way with the aim of guaranteeing the safety of the population amid growing violence in the country.
In Sinaloa, home of notorious former drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who headed the Sinaloa drug cartel, police urged the population not to dress up as bandits.
Plastic weapons, tactical equipment and other costumes that could alert the police or frighten the population should be avoided, said Gerardo Medina, the head of the police in the western state.
Ignoring the measures could be interpreted as an expression of approval of a criminal act, which is a criminal offence, the police chief warned.
In cities such as Tijuana and Rosarito in the north-western state of Baja California, wearing masks and make-up covering the entirety of the face, has also been banned for security reasons, according to the media.
In addition to the usual Halloween costumes, masks of “El Chapo” can be found in markets and at festivals in Mexico City.
Guzman was sentenced to life in a US federal prison in 2019 for leading the drug cartel and for 26 drug-related crimes and one murder conspiracy.
Mexico’s population has been suffering from widespread violent crime for years.
GNA