Day of the Dead—Día de Los Muertos in Spanish—is a holiday that I’ve known about for nearly my whole life. It’s a major holiday for those in Mexico and of Mexican descent where we honor those in our lives who’ve passed away and transitioned to the next phase in life: death.
Many places in America have impressive Day of the Dead celebrations because of the large Mexican populations in their areas; per the Pew Research Center, as of 2021, there were 37.2 million citizens of Mexican descent in America. So it’s no surprise that San Antonio, Texas—with 66% of the population having Mexican ancestry—has the largest Day of the Dead celebration in America. Parade was invited to San Antonio this year and the city’s celebration blew my mind.
With the largest concentration of the Mexican population in the U.S. being in California, Texas, Arizona, Illinois and Colorado, it makes sense that some of the largest Día de Los Muertos festivals and celebrations are in these states. For me, despite both sides of my family having Mexican ancestry, we didn’t consistently do a lot for the holiday growing up. But as I got older, I wanted to connect more with my roots and ancestors, so I found myself really diving into my Mexican heritage, which has included making an ofrenda in my home every Día de Los Muertos for the last seven years or so.
No surprise here: Attending San Antonio’s Muertos Fest and being in their Day of the Dead river parade was like a dream come true. So, here’s what it was like being in San Antonio, Texas for the largest Day of the Dead celebration in the United States.
Related: 15 Best Día de los Muertos Traditions To Help Honor Loved Ones
Where Is the Biggest Día de Los Muertos Celebration in America?
Some of the largest Día de Los Muertos celebrations in America happen in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and more. But the actual biggest Day of the Dead celebration in America is in Texas: Día de Los Muertos San Antonio style.
San Antonio’s River Walk takes on a new life during this time of year, with papel picado all around and large, neon-colored alebrijes scattered on the sides. These are part of San Antonio’s Día De Los Muertos Tradition Trail that goes throughout downtown and leads you to these 5-foot tall alebrijes and community ofrendas (one was even at the hotel I stayed at, Omni La Mansion del Rio).
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Publish date : 2024-11-01 02:05:00
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