Philadelphia celebrates Día de los Muertos with thousands joining in procession

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Día de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, brought thousands of people together across Philadelphia on Sunday to celebrate the traditional Mexican holiday.

The Fleisher Art Memorial marked the occasion in South Philadelphia with events throughout the day, culminating in the procession to the ofrenda within the sanctuary.

“This is an event that sort of caps off 365 days a year of trying to make sure that this place is a safe place, a welcoming place, and a celebratory place,” Monica Zimmerman, Fleisher’s executive director, said. “For not just our closest neighbors who can walk here from Bella Vista and Queen Village, but for all the immigrant communities that are part of the diaspora around South Philadelphia.”

The holiday is celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2, and traces back thousands of years to when the Aztecs made offerings to deceased ancestors as part of death rituals. After Spanish colonization brought Catholicism to Mexico, the celebration morphed to incorporate Catholic beliefs and practices.