How James Bond inspired Mexico City’s Day of the Dead parade

MEXICO CITY, Nov 1 — While Day of the Dead is a centuries-old tradition in Mexico, its parade in the capital is a newer addition — with thanks to Bond, James Bond.

The Day of the Dead, when Mexico honours its deceased by blending pre-Columbian traditions with the Christian All Saints’ Day, is historically a family affair.

Relatives visit cemeteries and set up altars with food and other items their loved ones enjoyed in life.

The 2015 Bond film “Spectre” opens with the British spy walking through a crowd dressed as the dead in downtown Mexico City.

Yesterday, giant skeletons, floats and performers in feathered headdresses and masks filled the streets of Mexico City for the 10th anniversary of the Day of the Dead parade.

Musicians and acrobats joined the colourful floats, giving the downtown avenues a carnival atmosphere.

“Everyone started asking me, ‘What about the parade? When’s the parade?’”

Miguel Angel Mancera, who organised the first parade while serving as Mexico City mayor from 2012 to 2018, told AFP. “It was an adventure.”

City officials expect more than half a million visitors from Mexico and abroad to watch this year’s parade, which falls on the same weekend as the city’s Formula One Grand Prix race.

Some of the giant figures used in the film appeared in the first parade in 2016.

“It’s a very, very big thing now,” Mancera said. “It’s something I’m really proud of.”

An 11-storey Catrina — an elegantly dressed female skeleton — stands in the Zocalo, the capital’s main square, as part of this year’s festivities.

What was once a “more intimate” celebration has become “a mass event,” said Roberto Montalvo, an academic at the Iberoamerican University.

Tourists now pack some cemeteries, competing with families for space. “Do we adapt the visit to the ritual, or does the ritual adapt to the visitor?” Montalvo asked. — AFP

Deepavali not complete without Buntong ‘kacang putih’ as families travel from KL for festive favourites

A new landmark mall in KL: Shoppers flock to newly opened 118 Mall at base of Menara 118

A monk, an undertaker and a barking dog: Thai temple row ends in hospital

DAP confirms seven seats for Sarawak polls, mulls Batu Lintang as eighth

‘Do not be discouraged’: Anwar backs Hakim Danish after fourth-place Moto3 finish

KL police investigate after woman allegedly assaults two children at shopping mall

墨西哥城，11 月 1 日——虽然亡灵节是墨西哥有着数百年历史的传统，但首都的亡灵节游行却是最近才出现的——这要感谢詹姆斯·邦德。

亡灵节是墨西哥人纪念逝者的节日，它将前哥伦布时期的传统与基督教的诸圣节融合在一起，历史上一直是一个家庭节日。

亲属们会前往墓地，摆放食物和其他逝者生前喜爱的物品，并设立祭坛。

2015 年的邦德电影《幽灵党》以英国间谍邦德身着死者装束穿过墨西哥城市中心的人群开场。

昨天，巨型骷髅、花车和戴着羽毛头饰和面具的表演者挤满了墨西哥城的街道，庆祝亡灵节游行十周年。

音乐家和杂技演员加入到五彩缤纷的花车队伍中，给市中心的街道带来了嘉年华般的气氛。

“大家都开始问我，‘游行怎么办？游行什么时候举行？’”

米格尔·安赫尔·曼塞拉在2012年至2018年担任墨西哥城市长期间组织了第一次游行，他告诉法新社：“那是一次冒险。”

市政府官员预计，今年将有超过 50 万来自墨西哥和海外的游客观看游行，游行时间与该市一级方程式大奖赛在同一周末。

电影中使用的一些巨型人偶出现在 2016 年的第一次游行中。

“这现在意义非凡，”曼塞拉说。“我为此感到非常自豪。”

作为今年庆祝活动的一部分，一座 11 层楼高的卡特里娜（Catrina）——一个穿着优雅的女性骷髅——矗立在首都的主要广场索卡洛广场上。

伊比利亚美洲大学的学者罗伯托·蒙塔尔沃表示，曾经“更私密”的庆祝活动已经变成了“一场大型活动”。

如今，一些墓地挤满了游客，他们与家属争夺空间。“我们应该调整祭扫方式来适应仪式，还是让仪式来适应访客？”蒙塔尔沃问道。——法新社

如果没有Buntong 'kacang putih'（一种马来西亚传统甜点），屠妖节就不算完整，许多家庭会从吉隆坡前往Buntong 'kacang putih'（一种马来西亚传统甜点）购买节日美食。

吉隆坡新地标购物中心：购物者蜂拥至位于118大厦底部的全新118购物中心

一名僧侣、一名殡仪员和一条吠叫的狗：泰国寺庙纠纷最终以住院告终

民主行动党确认砂拉越选举七个席位，考虑将峇都林登列为第八

“不要气馁”：安瓦尔力挺哈基姆·丹尼什，后者在Moto3比赛中获得第四名

吉隆坡警方正在调查一起女子涉嫌在购物中心殴打两名儿童的案件。