Mexico City Is Going to Recreate the Day of the Dead Parade From 'Spectre'

The movies are a huge influence on the real world, from the way they introduce new words into our language to how they inspire cultural traditions. Did you know the term “pixelated” comes from Frank Capra’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town or that the Ku Klux Klan was re-founded thanks to The Birth of a Nation? It’s obviously not always good influence.

Well, a new example that does actually seem fun and appreciated is the introduction of a Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City a la the one at the beginning of Spectre. 

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That’s right, the celebration at the start of the last James Bond movie was not based on anything that really exists. Officials in the Mexican capital have been directly inspired by the Spectre action set piece and are holding a similar procession on October 29, from the city’s Angel of Independence monument to Zocalo square. According to the Associated Foreign Press, it will “revisit the props and the wardrobe of the well-known film Spectre,” though it’s not clear if that means they’ve got the actual items or replicas.

This Day of the Dead (or Dia de Muertos) parade will be happening a couple days ahead of the main holiday, which is observed from October 31 through November 2. Perhaps the real deal will wind up lasting for years and years, to the point that people will eventually forget that it wasn’t a thing before Hollywood made it a thing. But if the people of Mexico like having it associated with the 007 franchise, maybe they can add in the custom to also drink shaken martinis throughout the day of the event.