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The monumental female skeleton, roughly the height of an 11-storey building, surpasses the previous record of 28.15 metres set in Puerto Vallarta in 2023. Created by around 140 artists and technicians from Taller Xibalbá, the figure wears a purple dress stretching more than 27 metres. Visitors gathered beneath the installation to take photographs as workers put the finishing touches to the display. Facing the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Catrina stands at the centre of an enormous ofrenda, a traditional altar honouring the dead, surrounded by a carpet of some 70,000 marigold plants grown in Xochimilco. The installation pays tribute to Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada, whose 1913 illustration of a skeletal woman became the inspiration for La Catrina, now one of the most recognisable symbols of Day of the Dead. The elaborate display also features coloured sawdust carpets and figures inspired by axolotls and alebrijes, Mexico's fantastical folk-art creatures. Celebrated on 1 and 2 November, Day of the Dead brings families together to remember deceased loved ones through photographs, food, flowers and offerings. Marigolds, known as cempasúchil, are traditionally believed to guide spirits home through their colour and scent. The record-breaking Catrina and its illuminated altar will remain on display until 2 November.

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Mexico breaks record with tallest skeleton woman for Day of the Dead

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