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One of the great cultural influences to position the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead worldwide came seven years ago with the premiere of the film Coco in October 2017.
The Pixar film inspired by the Day of the Dead, one of its most ambitious projects and the first from the animation studio to tell a story beyond the American cultural horizons, brought papel picado, cempasúchil flowers, Alebrijes and the Day of the Dead to thousands of movie theaters around the globe.
The film, which faced a timid boycott during its premiere at the Morelia International Festival in 2017, became the most viewed in the history of the country.
The Coco effect also accelerated the adoption of the Day of the Dead in the United States, a process that began in the seventies at the hands of Chicano artists and activists, who introduced this commemoration in cities with the largest population of Mexican origin.
In 2021, the Joe Biden administration placed the first ofrenda installed in the White House in commemoration of the Day of the Dead.
One of the most notable effects of its influence is the adoption of ofrendas, altars, and costumes related to the movie Coco during the Halloween celebrations in the United States.
The celebrations of the Day of the Dead have also influenced those of Halloween globally.
Mexico is exporting its culture to other countries where the “Day of the Dead” is already adopted as a holiday.
In addition, in all these countries there are Mexican migrants, our compatriots who also carry the local culture and reproduce it there.
TYT Newsroom