Mexico is getting ready to celebrate its famous Day of the Dead with a colorful parade in Mexico City and families holding candlelight vigils, giving the country a tourism boost as people travel to witness the traditions.
Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, honors families’ ancestors and loved ones who have passed. The celebrations held Nov. 1-2 will draw more than 1.6 million tourists — an estimated 2% increase from 2024 — and boost hotel occupancy, officials said.
“Mexico is a global symbol thanks to its profound cultural and spiritual richness. The Day of the Dead is a unique celebration, full of color and joy, where we honor life through our traditions,” said Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, Mexico’s minister of tourism. “Nowhere else in the world is there such a vibrant and moving manifestation, uniting families, awakening the interest of millions, and filling us with pride as a nation.”
The celebrations span across the country from the big cities to the quiet countryside.
“In Mexico City, the annual Day of the Dead Parade will once again transform Paseo de la Reforma into a colorful procession of skeletal figures, dancers and floats inspired by traditional imagery,” Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism said in a press release.
“In Oaxaca, artisans are creating intricate sand tapestries and paper decorations, while in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, families will hold candlelit vigils by the lake — a scene recognized around the world for its beauty and solemnity.”
The Ministry of Tourism described some of the cultural traditions that visitors will see.
Families decorate altars, known as ofrendas, with marigolds, candles, sugar skulls and photographs of departed relatives.
“The bright orange cempasúchil flowers, believed to guide spirits back to the world of the living, will fill streets, plazas and cemeteries as Mexicans welcome the souls of their ancestors home,” the press release said.
