Program Overview
What is El Día de los Muertos?
El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) has been observed across Latin America for centuries as a day to honor and celebrate the lives of people we have lost. This celebration is a 3,000-year-old tradition that is incredibly strong and visible in Mexico and in Latin American communities across the US. While specific customs to celebrate may vary across regions of Mexico and Latin America, the general sentiment is to reunite with our loved ones who have died in a celebration that honors them and guides them to find peace and eternal rest. Many other countries around the world have similar traditions honoring the dead; the truth is that we can all relate to the universal experience of loss and longing as we remember the lives of our loved ones.
What does El Día de los Muertos mean to Philadelphia?
In Philadelphia, we honor the tradition by celebrating together as a diverse Latinx community that continues to grow and share culture. Whether we are of Mexican descent or not, we all share the need to contribute and keep this tradition in our region as a means to unite and celebrate our Latinidad. Heritage is extremely important in this conversation as our community shares a diverse ancestral composition that includes Native American, African, European, and Asian roots. This genetic diversity that we now embrace is the result of the pain and suffering of our ancestors inflicted by European colonization in the Americas. In order to celebrate, we must also acknowledge and honor our past; the intention of this celebration is to bring us closer together by honoring the dead and our heritage.
“Between performances from Aztec dance group Cenzontile Cuicatl and altar ceremonies, no cultural stone will be left unturned.”
– Allison Volpe, Philly.com
Dia De Muertos at Fleisher Art Memorial (2017)
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