Mexico City sets world record as tallest Day of the Dead sculpture is erected
A record in the Zócalo
The colorful female skeleton in Mexico City’s town square is officially the world’s tallest La Catrina monument. At nearly 110 feet high, the structure is roughly 11 stories tall and was built from steel and fiberglass.
About 140 people helped assemble the project. It surpasses Puerto Vallarta’s 92.3-foot Catrina, built in 2023. The sculpture’s purple dress measures more than 88 feet from top to bottom. An ofrenda, or memorial altar, stands surrounded by an estimated 70,00 marigold plants grown in nearby Xochimilco.
A holiday honoring loved ones
Day of the Dead is observed each year on November 1 and 2. The holiday honors deceased family members and loved ones, with families and friends gathering to remember them.
Celebrants often wear skeleton-themed costumes and build ofrendas. The observance has become one of Mexico’s best-known traditions, though historians disagree about its origins. Some researchers trace the holiday to Indigenous pre-Hispanic traditions, while others describe it as a newer reworking of Spanish customs intended to promote cultural pride.
The story behind La Catrina
La Catrina is among the holiday’s most recognizable figures. The Mexico City monument follows a relatively traditional depiction of the character, a skeleton dressed in stylish clothing. The figure draws on Mexican illustrator José Guadalupe Posada’s work, “La Calavera Catrina,” or “The Elegant Skull.” Published after Posada’s death, the illustration is widely viewed by art historians as a criticism of upper-class Mexican women who tried to imitate European fashions.
Muralist Diego Rivera later expanded on Posada’s image in 1946-1947. La Catrina imagery has since become a familiar part of Day of the Dead celebrations.
Marigolds and a limited visit
La Catrina sculptures are often displayed with marigolds, also known as cempasúchil. Tradition holds that the flowers’ scent and colorful petals help guide spirits home. The Mexico City installation is temporary. Visitors can see the sculpture and its altar only until November 2.
Key points
- Mexico City’s nearly 110-foot La Catrina is officially the world’s tallest monument of its kind.
- About 140 people assembled the steel-and-fiberglass sculpture in the Zócalo.
- The ofrenda is surrounded by an estimated 70,00 marigold plants from Xochimilco.
- The sculpture and altar will be open to visitors only until November 2.