Cancún, Quintana Roo — Roughly 24,000 people converged on the Puerto Juárez area of Cancún for the opening day of the city’s Hanal Pixán celebrations, officials reported, packing the streets for a ceremony overlooking the Caribbean Sea and a traditional Catrinas parade.
The event opened with a large-scale ceremonial presentation on the waterfront before giving way to the parade of Catrinas, the elegantly dressed skeleton figures associated with Mexico’s Day of the Dead traditions. Organizers said the spectacle drew both domestic and international visitors eager to see how the region honors its departed.
According to figures gathered from the first day of activities, about 24,000 people took part in the colorful program, and organizers do not rule out that the total will climb higher, since reaching the main stage required considerable patience as crowds pressed in.
Multiple agencies coordinated to keep the celebrations peaceful, and traffic officers worked to keep vehicles moving. Even so, the sheer volume of visitors caused significant disruptions on nearby roads.
Despite the congestion, families filled the site to enjoy one of Mexico’s most deeply rooted traditions. This year marked the fifth edition of the Puerto Juárez celebration.
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