Tens of thousands of Mexicans lined the capital's Reforma Avenue on Saturday for the annual Día de Muertos — or "Day of the Dead" — parade.
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17 vibrant yet sombre photos from Mexico's bittersweet Day of the Dead festival
Tens of thousands of Mexicans lined the capital's Reforma Avenue on Saturday for the annual Día de Muertos — or 'Day of the Dead' — parade
Dating back to the Aztecs, the Day of the Dead festival marks a celebration of dead loved ones.
From October 31 to November 2, people play music at cemeteries, dress in ornate, colourful costumes, and make flower-adorned altars to honour the souls of dead family members, whose spirits they believe return to Earth during this time.
Since 2016, residents of Mexico City have taken to the streets for a Day of the Dead parade inspired by the opening scene of the James Bond film "Spectre," which features the protagonist chasing a villain around the city in costume.
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This year, the city's government decided to dedicate the parade to migrants who had lost their lives in transit to other countries.
INSIDER has compiled some of the most jubilant photos and sombre scenes from the parade and public holiday.
Scroll down to take a look at the bittersweet celebrations in Mexico.
Mexico's Day of the Dead festival is known for amazing skeletal makeup. A popular Halloween makeup trend, though, use of the festival's iconography outside of Mexico often leads to accusations of cultural appropriation.
Sources: BBC, Huffington Post.
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This year's parade featured a myriad of costumes and sculptures, from incredibly intricate butterfly headdresses...
... to the omnipresent calacas, which are popular skeleton figures in formal dress.
Day of the Dead celebrations centre around the belief that the souls of the departed can temporarily return from the afterlife.
As such, celebrations are loud and colourful to attract the dead.
Source: National Geographic.
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In 2016, Mexico City officials decided to hold a Day of the Dead parade in the city centre after being inspired by the opening sequence of the James Bond film "Spectre."
The wild film scene features Daniel Craig's James Bond chasing a villain through the city centre in full calaca garb.
"Day of the Dead is always something in Mexico City that is celebrated, though in a more serious way," Enrique de la Madrid, the country's tourism secretary, told the Guardian in 2016. "It's a deeply rooted tradition in Mexico, but what we decided to do is a festival."
Source: The Guardian.
This year's parade was dedicated to migrants who have lost their lives in transit. A caravan of approximately 7,000 Central American immigrants are currently marching towards the US border, despite condemnation from President Donald Trump.
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Source: INSIDER.
Tens of thousands of people reportedly attended the parade this year, despite somewhat drizzly conditions.
Source: BBC.
According to the BBC, some performers carried around parts of a border wall, which said: "On this side there is also a dream."
Source: BBC.
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The actual Day of the Dead is held on November 2 and is Mexican bank holiday.
Many Mexicans' celebrations are a lot more subdued than the capital's parade, with many families honouring the festival by lighting candles, making altars in their homes with photos of the dead, and spending time sharing stories about them.
Mexicans lay marigolds, which are known as "flor de muerte [flower of the dead]," by the graves of their loved ones as the flower's scent is thought to guide the spirits home.
Source: The Boston Globe.
David Carrasco, professor of the study of Latin America at Harvard Divinity School, said: "Day of the Dead opens up the dimension of being able to communicate with the spirit of not only individuals who have passed away...
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Source: The Boston Globe.
... but what I call 'convivencia,' which means you're living together in a family, nurturing each other in a family — even the family that has passed on to the other side."
Source: The Boston Globe.
Far removed from Halloween, Día de Muertos is a time for healing, remembering, and celebrating the lives of those no longer with us.
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