When the dead come alive

Streets come alive with music, dance and elaborate skeletal costumes as communities across the Americas honour the departed during the Day of the Dead festivities.

A participant wearing a skull mask at the Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City. The annual celebration honours deceased loved ones through colourful processions, costumes, music and traditional offerings. — AFP

Revellers in elaborate costumes take part in the Day of the Dead parade, bringing the streets alive with the imagery of skulls and skeletons associated with the Mexican tradition. — AFP

Participants dressed as calaveras – skulls and skeletons – march through downtown Monterrey in Mexico, ahead of the Day of the Dead, observed on Nov 2. The festivities celebrate the lives of the departed and the enduring bonds between the living and the dead. — AFP

A participant dressed as a Catrina dances before spectators during Day of the Dead festivities in Mexico City. — AFP

Junior Santana of Mexican youth folklore dance group Santana Charro Bros watches a Día de Muertos celebration at Pike Place Market in Seattle, United States. — AP

Participants wearing skull makeup march in the Paseo de las Animas parade in Merida, Mexico. The procession, whose name means ‘Walk of the Souls’, evokes the spirits of the departed as the city prepares to mark the Day of the Dead. — AP

A participant dressed as a Catrina dances before crowds during the annual Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City. With elaborate makeup and ornate costumes, participants turn the streets into a vivid tribute to the departed ahead of the Nov 2 celebration. — Reuters

A Catrina sculpture more than 30m tall stands in Mexico City’s Zocalo square ahead of Day of the Dead celebrations. The towering skeletal figure is inspired by one of the festival’s best-known icons, which has come to represent the celebration’s distinctive blend of remembrance and artistry. — Reuters

A child in costume attends the 27th annual Dia de los Muertos event at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. — AFP

A woman dressed as a Catrina takes part in the third Paseo de las Catrinas Festival in the historic centre of Guatemala City. The elegant female skeleton, often depicted in a wide-brimmed hat, has become one of the celebration’s most recognisable symbols. — AFP