Catrinas parade in San Miguel de Allende

Published November 3rd, 2021

After pausing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional catrinas parade was revived in San Miguel de Allende. With more than a thousand participants, including San Miguel residents, foreigners and visitors, the historic center of this World Heritage City was filled with color, festivities, and respect for the dead, on the occasion of the Day of the Dead.

Schools, service clubs, non-governmental organizations, youth groups, organized neighbors, and San Miguel residents, in general, filled the streets with the mysticism that surrounds this Mexican tradition, which has been celebrated in San Miguel for more than 20 years.

Catrinas, catrines, characters from world cinema and some disguised as politicians and celebrities, all paraded from 7:30 at night from El Cardo, Ancha de San Antonio, Zacateros, and Umarán, where the contingent was applauded by the inhabitants of the entire San Miguel area and visitors who came to this celebration of life and commemoration of death.

The public party advanced through these streets and more people and their energy joined in until it reached the South Plaza of the Main Garden, where the party continued with traditional and contemporary music by Rancho Labradores and a estudiantina, who made the attendees dance and sing.

“It was a very well attended celebration. We had many participants. The people of San Miguel and many visitors were able to live together. There was a very enthusiastic participation of many people,” said the Director of Culture and Traditions, Acacio Martinez, who also said that for the next edition the route could be extended and that this celebration could involve more streets and more families from San Miguel.

Particularly, the foreign community living in San Miguel stood out with very striking costumes and above all made communion with the Sanmiguelenses, achieving a coexistence that merged both communities in the same taste: to live the traditions of Mexico and to live in San Miguel de Allende.

In addition to this tradition, another equally important and colorful tradition was represented in each of the neighborhoods of the municipality, where the inhabitants organized offerings and altars.

Some of these altars were set up in the neighborhoods of La Aurora, Guadalupe, La Estación, San Rafael, Allende, Valle del Maíz, where people came to visit them during the Day of the Dead, and later on, they made family gatherings.