Day of the Dead opens up in Mexico City and towns across the country with the sugary treats that begin showing up in the windows of bakeries.

The top sellers are the sugar and chocolate skulls covered with colourful eyes, mouths and hair.

Also, Mexicans enjoy making scenes with skeleton figures, perhaps likening some of their dead relatives doing their favourite activities while they were alive.

Here is another vendor in the markets who had tons of animal shapes made in marzipan (almond paste).

And these are candy versions of top mexican dishes (enchiladas, fried beans, etc) to place atop the day of the dead shrines or just to enjoy as tasty treats.

Day of the Dead bread covered in plain white sugar or in pinkish sugar is very tasty, though, like the others, also very sweet.

Here is one of the breads buns, typically shaped this time of the year as a doll (muneca) to represent the people that are remembered and celebrated.

Coloured tissue sheets which are perforated to show day of the dead designs (skulls, pumpkins, skeletons) make great decorations for stores and homes.

Pinatas seem to still be a big part of Mexican holiday tradition, whether it be Halloween or Christmas or just a birthday party. Of course, they are available in all the latest popular cartoon figures like Spiderman.

Even stores display Halloween posters or Day of the Dead shrines (for friends and family who recently passed away).

Here is another setting of skeleton people set up in the window of a store.

Upon the front door of a home, this marigold cross was made to remind the family of their dead relatives and friends. The bright orange marigold flowers are ubiquitous during this time of the year.

In Mexico City, I found this larger than life cross completely covered with marigolds.

In the small town of Taxco, wandering in the back streets, Eric and I fell upon the window of a house with two little kids dressed in skeleton outfits peeking out from behind the window bars.

We were in luck! Only a few hours later (and not even on Oct 31st), these kids, their parents and numerous other young families paraded the streets displaying their costumes. There in the front were our two skeleton friends from earlier that day.

Some of the costumes were very cute like this skeleton...

...while others were a little more disturbing !!

In this museum, they portrayed an example of what the Day of the Dead shrines would look like in the homes of those who had recently passed away.