The Day of the Dead Parade is an annual parade in Mexico City. The tradition began after being inspired by the 2015 James Bond film, Spectre, which featured a fictional parade at the beginning of the film. Because of the interest the film generated, the government decided to organize a similar event. The first parade took place on 28 October 2016, during the weekend closest to the Day of the Dead, with a route that began at the Angel of Independence, along Paseo de la Reforma, and ended at the Zócalo, in the historic center. Since then, the route has expanded from the Angel of Independence to the Puerta de los Leones, in Chapultepec.
During the parades, floats are decorated with symbols associated with the Day of the Dead, including the , an image and associated character depicting a , or people dressed as such. In addition to floats, the parade features mojigangas, marching bands, and dancers. The event is dedicated annually. For example, during the 2024 parade David Alfaro Siqueiros, Lucha Reyes and Rosario Castellanos were honored, while in the 2026 parade, it will honor Juan Gabriel, Emilio Fernández and Maya's Red Queen. Inmates have been allowed to participate in the parade by building floats, including a monumental in 2023 or a trajinera in 2025.
In 2020, the parade was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and resumed the following year following preventive measures. The first parade was expected to draw 135,000 visitors; by 2025, 1.5 million people attended the event.
See also Mexico City Alebrije Parade, an annual event honoring Mexican handcrafts and folk art Pizza effect, the phenomenon of elements of a nation's or people's culture being transformed or at least more fully embraced elsewhere, then re-exported to their culture of origin
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