The center transformed into a sea of marigolds, candles, painted faces, and vibrant music for the festival on Nov. 1.

The route from the land of the dead to San Andrés Mixquic, a little town just outside Mexico City, is lined with marigolds. Angel Jiménez del Aguila, who died in 2010, need only follow the trail of flower petals,

The three-day celebration combines All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day with ancient traditions honoring ancestors.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, which happens this weekend, is celebrated in communities across the U.S. The primarily Mexican holiday is rooted in the belief that the veil between the mortal and immortal worlds thins, allowing deceased spirits to cross over to the living world to be with loved ones.

The couple were both wearing traditional Day of the Dead makeup and attire. Nonetheless, costumes of all sorts were found at the Day of the Dead and Halloween Block Party, hosted by the Italian restaurant Clasico on Nov. 1.

Day of the Dead celebrations changed during COVID, shaped by anxieties about the ‘shadow pandemic’ of gender violence.