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Feliz
Dia de
los
Muertos
In
Southwest
Detroit,
"Run Of
The
Dead"
offers a
race
full of
tradition.
By
Claudia
Lugo/Tell
Us
Detroit
DETROIT,
MI (Tell
Us Det)
-
Saturday
morning,
Southwest
Detroit
was the
host of
their
third
annual
race
that has
as a
theme,
“The Run
of The
Dead”,
in
commemoration
of one
of the
most
significant
traditions
in
Mexican
culture,
"Dia de
los
Muertos"
(Day of
the
dead).
The day
was
chilly
but that
did not
discourage
the more
than 700
participants
who
decided
to have
a
healthy
experience
along
with a
lot of
fun.
Painted
faces,
mariachi
bands,
hot
chocolate,
traditional
Mexican
bread,
colorful
flower
headpieces,
and lots
of
enthusiasm
were the
elements
that
framed
this
sanctioned
5K/10K
race.
This is
the
second
year
that
Southwest
Detroit
Business
Association
(SDBA)
host
this
race and
the
first
year
that
both 5K
and 10K
races
are
certified
by USA
Track
and
Field
Association.
According
to SDBA
President
Kathy
Wendler,
“The
certification
reaffirms
the
distance
for
accuracy,
allowing
participants
to
compare
their
individual
time to
performance
runs or
other
certified
courses
to see
if they
have
accomplished
a
personal
best. In
doing
so, we
hope to
encourage
more
individuals
to join
us for
the Run
of the
Dead,
which
will
provide
increased
visibility
for the
local
community
and
businesses
in
southwest
Detroit,”
said
Wendler.
The main
attraction
of this
race is
the loop
through
two of
southwest
Detroit’s
most
historic
cemeteries:
Holy
Cross
and
Woodmere
cemeteries.
Competitors
had the
chance
to pass
through
beautiful
gravestones,
headstones,
mausoleums
and
other
burial
sites.
Many of
participants
decided
to stop
and take
pictures
since
the
morning
sun
created
portrait
sceneries.
Some
first-time
competitors
in this
race
mentioned
that
they
will
certainly
be back
next
year
after
having
seen
these
places.
“The Run
of the
Dead” is
growing
in
popularity
and it
is
becoming
one more
reason
for
Detroiters
and
Southeast
Michiganders
to enjoy
what
“The D”
has to
offer.
About
the Day
of The
Dead
The Day
of the
Dead
(Dia de
Los
Muertos)
is a
Mexican
holiday
that
honors
family
and
friends
who are
deceased.
“Dia de
Los
Muertos
is a day
when the
boundaries
between
the
living
and the
dead
becoming
permeable,
allowing
the
souls of
the
departed
to
travel
back to
visit
families
and
loved
ones,”
explained
Kathy
Wendler,
“Elaborate
altars
with
special
foods,
flowers,
candies
and
beautiful
decorations
are
erected
and
visits
to local
cemeteries
to honor
loved
ones are
frequent
during
the
celebration.”
Dia de
los
Muertos
honors
the dead
with
festivals
and
lively
celebrations.
Assured
that the
dead
would be
insulted
by
mourning
or
sadness,
Dia de
los
Muertos
celebrates
the
lives of
the
deceased
with
food,
drink,
parties,
and
activities
the dead
enjoyed
in life.
Dia de
los
Muertos
recognizes
death as
a
natural
part of
the
human
experience,
a
continuum
with
birth,
childhood,
and
growing
up to
become a
contributing
member
of the
community.
On Dia
de los
Muertos,
the dead
are also
a part
of the
community,
awakened
from
their
eternal
sleep to
share
celebrations
with
their
loved
ones.
The most
familiar
symbol
of Dia
de los
Muertos
may be
the
calacas
and
calaveras
(skeletons
and
skulls),
which
appear
everywhere
during
the
holiday:
in
candied
sweets,
as
parade
masks,
as
dolls.
Calacas
and
calaveras
are
almost
always
portrayed
as
enjoying
life,
often in
fancy
clothes
and
entertaining
situations.
Source:
National
Geographic
About
the
Southwest
Detroit
Business
Association
Founded
in 1957,
the
Southwest
Detroit
Business
Association
fosters
innovation,
drive
and
commitment
in our
community.
We
support
our
community’s
vision
for a
healthy,
vibrant
neighborhood.
The SDBA
works
with
local
businesses,
investors,
entrepreneurs,
customers
and
neighbors
to
develop
a place
where
more and
more
people
are
choosing
to live,
work,
shop and
play – a
place
where
you find
Business
Building
Community
and
Community
Building
Business.
For more
information,
visit
www.southwestdetroit.com.
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