Thousands of people gathered yesterday to enjoy the mega-procession of catrinas along Paseo de la Reforma and the monumental offering in the Zócalo, to welcome the Day of the Dead festivities.
At dusk, the route from the Angel of Independence to the Plaza de la Constitución was filled with color, music, and tradition with the passage of bright-faced catrinas and catrines, groups of skaters, dancers, and musicians, who, accompanied by floats covered in marigolds, skulls, and confetti, transformed the avenue into a living tapestry.
Entire families waited for up to five hours on the sidewalks to get a good spot and watch the 34 contingents pass by, but the wait wasn’t exclusive to the public; many participants prepared for days, even months, to be part of the parade. The Catrinas Balloon Fashion contingent dedicated four days of continuous work to create a float made up of hundreds of balloons that gave life to a monumental catrina with a pompous hat and vibrant colors.
Among the participants was Johana Jiménez, from the exotic car contingent, who arrived on a late-model Corvette wearing a catrina costume inspired by her Olympic artistic swimmer’s outfit, adorned with monarch butterfly wings. “It took me two hours to do the makeup on my face and arms. Right now I’m enjoying the whole experience,” she shared with a smile.
With every step, applause and shouts of “Hey, hey!” accompanied the colorful procession, while foreign tourists joined in the jubilation with painted faces and cameras held high. Ingenious people climbed onto benches to catch every detail of the exotic outfits, such as veils woven with marigolds, luminous crowns, fluorescent outfits, brides, and weeping women who also sought to frighten the audience. From his front-row seat, Tadeo, who waited more than five hours to see the parade, expressed with emotion: “I just like seeing the cars and motorcycles; everything looks so beautiful.”
Amid the hustle and bustle, a group of searching mothers also advanced, their grief transformed into strength, carrying photos of their relatives on their chests. “We march to raise our voices. Why are we searching for them? Because we love them and we want them alive,” said Maricruz Mendoza through tears.
Earlier, the head of government, Clara Brugada, inaugurated the monumental offering in the Zócalo, which pays homage to 12 pre-Hispanic goddesses from all regions of the country. Giant ironwork and cardboard figures stand in the middle of a garden with more than 100,000 marigold flowers.
“This offering invites us to look back to our origins and represents Tonantzin, the goddess who from Tenochtitlán calls upon other feminine forces of water, wind, fire, and corn,” the president stated.
As part of the artisanal creativity, representations of the Red Queen of Palenque, Cuerauáperi of Michoacán, and Ixmukane of the Mayan region can be seen in the Plaza de la Constitución. These figures, as well as emblematic figures such as the axolotl, the jaguar, the xoloitzcuintle, and the turkey, accompanying the spiritual journey to Mictlán, can be seen.
Secretary of Culture Ana Francis López stated that the exhibition of monumental offerings has extended to Iztapalapa, Tláhuac, Cuauhtémoc, Gustavo A. Madero, Azcapotzalco, and Xochimilco.
She indicated that as part of the Day of the Dead celebrations, there will also be a concert by the Pérez Prado orchestra, film screenings, a mega aerobic dance class, and opera in the Zócalo, while the parade will take place on Paseo de la Reforma on Saturday.
Source: jornada
