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Get Into the Halloween Spirit with Mexico City's Parade of the Catrinas

Mexico City's Parade of the Catrinas, a massive celebration of Mexican culture and art that takes place just one week before the Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, was a scary good time. Thousands of people put on ghoulish face paint and paraded down Republic of Salvador Street in the nation's capital to the Angel of the Revolution statue wearing all sorts of macabre but elegant costumes on Saturday. The Day of the Dead, one of Mexico's most important and well-known holidays, has its roots in pre-colonial times, when the Aztec emperor still reigned supreme. The holiday focuses on honoring family, friends, and even pets that have passed away. People continued to celebrate the event even after the Spanish army conquered the territory and tried to convert the native people to Catholicism and drive out the old religions. However, the traditions of the older cultures proved much too resilient and people simply fused their old customs with the newer Catholic ones. A Mexican illustrator named Jose Guadalupe Posada felt that indigenous Mexicans were trying too hard to look like Europeans and drew a satirical drawing of a skull wearing a fancy European hat. Called the Calavera Catrina, this illustration would go on to inspire the birth of the Catrina style, in which people make their faces look like skulls with facepaint while wearing elegant clothing. The holiday traditionally takes place near October 31 (All Hallows' Eve), November 1 (All Saints Day) and November 2 (All Souls Day).