Day of the Dead: 1.5 million people attend parade in Mexico

Around 1.5 million people watched on as colourful floats and people in costumes marched through Mexico City during a grand parade for the Day of the Dead on Saturday, according to the city administration.

In the ninth edition of the parade, cardboard skeletons, around 8,000 costumed performers and carnival-decorated floats made their way through the streets of the Mexican capital.

The Day of the Dead, which forms part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, combines pre-Hispanic and Christian elements.

On November 1, the souls of dead children are believed to return to earth to visit their families, and the souls of adults, on November 2.

Families visit cemeteries, where they eat, drink and sing at the tombs of their loved ones, placing offerings such as candles and food both on the graves and on altars in their homes.

However, the parade in Mexico City is a modern tradition that began in 2016 and was inspired by a scene from the James Bond movie “Spectre.”