Dia De Los Muertos, the celebrations in Mexico for the feast of the dead. PHOTO

Mexico is filled with flowers, candles and altars to remember the deceased. Orange flowers cover the streets, cemeteries are lit up with hundreds of candles and the altars are filled with photographs, food and family memories. In many places, especially Mexico City, parades are staged where people dress up in colorful costumes.

The celebration takes place between the end of October and the beginning of November, with the main dates being November 1st and 2nd. According to tradition, on these days the souls of the dead return to reunite with those of the living, in a celebration.

Mexico City is where the biggest demonstrations take place. The city fills with colours, with thousands of people who, on several days, parade along the streets disguised as skeletons in elegant clothes, with allegorical floats and musical groups.

In Mexico City in the main Day of the Dead Parade, according to official data released by the administration of the metropolis, this year the event brought together 1.6 million spectators along the five kilometers of route, from the Paseo de la Reforma avenue to the Zócalo, the main square, where a monumental Catrina - a typical Mexican skeleton figure - 33 meters high stood out.

During the parade, at the start of the mayor Clara Brugada, over 4,000 participants, 23 allegorical floats and 22 folk groups marched.

And this year, on the occasion of the Formula 1 GP in Mexico City on November 1st, Dia De Los Muertos was also celebrated on the track, with a parade on the race circuit, as a tribute.

In Acapulco, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, some faithful set up altars, even in the city markets, dedicated to the Santa Muerte, a skeletal figure venerated as a protector. Statues wrapped in colorful cloaks are surrounded by candles, flowers and offerings, including food and drinks. The cult, practiced throughout the year and not recognized by the Catholic Church, is distinct from Día de Muertos, the anniversary in which Mexican families remember their deceased.

The Quema de Cera is one of the traditions linked to Día de Muertos in Mexico, particularly widespread in the Mixteca region and in some municipalities of the State of Puebla. Between the evening of November 1st and the morning of the 2nd, entire families gather in cemeteries to remember their deceased loved ones. Graves are cleaned and decorated with cempasúchil flowers, known as marigold, while hundreds of candles light up the Mexican night.

Despite the memory of the deceased, the Quema de Cera is not just a solemn commemoration. During the vigil, known in some places as "the night when no one sleeps", the cemeteries come alive with music from mariachis and wind bands. Family and friends gather in front of the graves, sharing food, stories and prayers. A way to keep alive the deep bond with those who are no longer here.