PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Celebrating Mexican culture and promoting safety, a Día de Muertos bicycle ride made its way through Center City on Sunday.
Día de Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, typically celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2, is not meant to be a sad or scary time. It is an opportunity for the living to honor their dearly departed and to remember the good times with them.
“It is a Latin American tradition, but most specifically in Mexico it is a way that we honor our family or friends — but it is in a way that we honor their life. And we do it through a lot of color and food,” said Valeria Ramirez, the press attaché at the Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia.
She says a bike ride, in which participants dress as skeletons and decorate their bicycles with colorful flowers, was incorporated into the celebration.
“We paired up with the Mexican Cultural Center and Indigo bikes to raise awareness about exercise biking and safe riding on a bike. And we are getting dressed up a little bit,” she said.
They use catrinas — images and sculptures of the highly decorative skulls — and marigolds as decorations. The fragrant flower is supposed to draw spirits to the celebration.
Aidee, originally from Mexico, now living in Lancaster, was dressed like a skeleton wearing a black veil. Her bike was decorated in colorful flowers.
“People get together and celebrate a very important tradition in Mexico,” she said.
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Brenda Hernandez, dressed as a skeleton in a poncho, reflected on the day.
“We are kind of inviting our ancestors to come and have some peace and enjoy kind of like a family quality of time as we also pay respects to their spirits,” she said.
Hernandez said she is thinking of her grandparents, who died two years ago this week as a result of COVID-19.
“And because the Mexican consulate wants to promote more healthy activities within the community, this is a great start to winter as to be visible and also predictable while riding.”
Hernandez is with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, which, before the Day of the Dead ride, went through safety tips for sharing the road.
