More than 1,000 gather at Oakland Cemetery to celebrate Día de los Muertos

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — More than 1,000 people gathered at Historic Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta on Sunday for Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday centered on remembering and honoring deceased loved ones.Attendees came not to mourn, but to celebrate the lives of those they have lost through traditional music, food, costumes and remembrance.Mausoleums throughout the cemetery were transformed into ofrendas — traditional altars decorated with flowers, candles and photographs honoring the dead.Mauricio Ramos said the day allows people to reconnect with those who have died.“It’s a day that we can celebrate and for us to get closer to them again,” Ramos said.Local organizations also created displays, including Los Niños Primero, whose ofrenda honored its founder alongside friends, family members and pets of community participants.Lizbeth Zamora, director of youth programs at Los Niños Primero, said the holiday offers a meaningful way to process loss.“You get