If they come, we must build it

Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead in English, is a Mexican festival that was born from the blending of Indigenous and Catholic traditions. In Mexico, it has traditionally been an intimate family holiday focused on paying reverence to ancestors or other important figures and around which a variety of regional traditions have been developed. In recognition of its importance, this traditional celebration of Día de Muertos, particularly among Indigenous communities in Mexico, was placed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. While it is inevitable that intangible heritage practices shift and adapt to cultural fluctuations, there has been a noted shift in recent years towards a heavily commodified version of the festival in Mexico. More specifically, this chapter will discuss Día de Muertos within the contexts of tradition and popular culture and how these two elements intersect in the Hollywood-influenced creation of a Día de Muertos parade in Mexico City.