The Mexican capital began the festivities of the Day of the Dead this Saturday with a colorful parade of 188 alebrijes, handcrafted figures of fantastic animals that have become central to this celebration. Thousands of people gathered in downtown Mexico City to observe the caravan of alebrijes made of cardboard and papier-mâché, which departed from the Zócalo to the Angel of Independence monument.
Huge figures of fantastic beings, such as a giraffe with butterfly wings and a tiger's tail, paraded around three kilometers, accompanied by the artisan creators, floats, music, and dance. These surreal creations of imaginary beings over two meters tall were made by various groups of volunteers from Guerrero, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Morelos, San Luis Potosí, Tlaxcala, Michoacán, Estado de México, and CDMX.
The alebrijes will be on display until Sunday, November 3, along Paseo de la Reforma, the main avenue of Mexico City, from the Angel of Independence to the Estela de Luz. Subsequently, the Museum of Popular Art (MAP), the event organizer, will award the three best designs with up to 50 thousand pesos.
Following Saturday's parade, the Zombie March will take place on the main roads of the capital's center, prompting authorities to establish a security and mobility operation, including the closure of some public transport stations.
The alebrijes, figures of fantastic animals, originated from the work of artisan Pedro Linares (1906-1992), from the La Merced neighborhood of the capital, who created them in the 1930s after dreaming of creatures formed by different animals. In recent years, alebrijes have been associated with the celebration of the Day of the Dead that Mexico commemorates on November 1 and 2, due to the myth that they are animals that inhabit the underworld.
The Day of the Dead, recognized since 2003 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, is one of the most significant Mexican traditions in which the living prepare to receive their dead and spend time with them.
