Every year on November 2nd throughout cities across Mexico, Dia de Los Muertos is celebrated. It is also referred to as Day of the Dead in English, and this is an important holiday that is a major element in Mexico’s rich history and culture. In Puerto Vallarta, you can find elaborate Dia de Los Muertos decorations all along the iconic Malecon Boardwalk. There, many stunning altars are constructed each year to honor the people that have passed on before us. There are also various Catrinas that are decorated and displayed, too. Catrinas are skeleton figures that will be dressed in elegance, and they are a very important part of the Dia de Los Muertos event. The largest Catrina ever was displayed in Puerto Vallarta this year, and it measured an astounding twenty-three meters tall, or seventy-five feet high. Read below to learn what world record Puerto Vallarta just broke.
The History and Heritage of La Catrina
Firstly, read here if you don’t know the history or heritage of La Catrina. A zinc sketch was the first image of a Calavera Catrina in 1910 by Jose Guadalupe, who was a cartoon illustrator and printmaker. The image displayed an elegantly dressed upper-class skeleton woman and was intended to poke fun at current politics at the time. It was designed to make fun of President Porfirio Diaz’s dictatorship and the upper-class people that supported him during the Mexican Revolution. Some time later, the skeleton image was named Catrina when she was painted in a mural created by the well-known artist Diego Rivera. That is when this figure became iconic, and associated with the culture of Mexico to represent death and how the country’s people deal with it. Years later, the character La Catrina continues to be an icon for the Day of the Dead.
Alondra Muca Designed the Largest Catrina
A local artist in Puerto Vallarta, Alondra Muca is who designed the largest Catrina in Puerto Vallarta. She is a young woman who oversaw a team of people for more than a year to prepare in designing and constructing the largest Catrina in Puerto Vallarta. The Catrina was made with metal and fiberglass, and she wore a stunning blue dress that had lovely sequined teal accents on the top of the dress. Catrina also had a beautiful hat that is made from actual palm tree leaves from Puerto Vallarta. The face of Catrina was painted white, and her makeup contains blue artwork around her eyes, and beautiful pink and red flowers on her cheeks and chin. This beautiful Catrina was so tall that the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged it as the tallest Catrina in the world.
If you were unable to attend this year’s Day of the Dead event in Puerto Vallarta, you should start planning on a vacation to make sure you are there next year. However, any time of the year is a great time to vacation in Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta is located on the Pacific Coast in Mexico, and it has the best climate, beaches, shopping, and more. If you want a great place to stay, contact Garza Blanca Resort for your accommodations! The award winning resort has spacious beachfront suites, world class amenities, and premiere services, too. Plus, they have special discounts on all-inclusive travel packages on sale right now. In addition to Puerto Vallarta, they also have luxury resorts in Cancun and Cabo San Lucas. Also, they have a high-end Residence Club membership for purchase for qualified travelers who want to always have unforgettable getaways. Call Garza Blanca today!
