Buddhist beliefs hold that all departed ancestors return to earth each year, and Obon is the commemoration of this return. (Persons familiar with the Mexican Day of the Dead observance may note the similarities with Obon.) The festivities culminate in a nighttime dance, the odori, wherein men, women, and children of all ages join in concentric circles and dance to traditional Japanese songs. With many of the dancers dressed in colorful kimonos and the street lighted with a rainbow of paper lanterns, the Bon Odori is a visual feast; the attendant taiko drums (which open the dance and are also played midway through) are a rousing aural treat. The Bon Odori is open to all who want to celebrate and enjoy the moment amidst Denver's downtown.