A Day of Celebración
While you are at Pumpkin Fest, be sure to visit the Líderes Naturales (Natural Leaders) booth to learn about the Latinx cultural celebration -- Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
The group invites the community to not only visit and learn but to partake in the holiday by bringing names and stories or a small picture or photo of people you have lost. This space will let our community remember them, honor them, celebrate their lives, their stories, and learn from the contributions they made to us, their families, and their communities. This will be a great space and opportunity to heal collectively as a community.
About Día de los Muertos
An event to remember, honor, celebrate and learn from the stories of loved ones and the impact made on our lives, our family, and our communities. A time of healing, learning and preparation for future disasters so we are more prepared and united.
The Day of the Dead is one of the most important celebrations in Mexico. Its roots go back thousands of years, long before the arrival of the Spanish. It has become a mix of Catholic tradition and Mexican mysticism, commemorating death as another element of life and to remember, honor and celebrate loved ones, our ancestors.
Typically, people place photos of their deceased loved ones on an ofrenda or altar, along with their favorite foods or drinks. In some places in the country, such as the state of Morelos, families open the doors of their houses so that those who want to see the altars can enter and offer visitors the traditional bread of the dead (pan de muerto), atole, a drink made from corn. To Mexicans, it remains an intimate family tradition, a time to remember and honor those we have lost, and allow them to return to our homes, through the retelling of the stories, which bring laughter or tears and a lot of learning to those who gather, and is a reminder of the ability of Mexican culture to laugh at anything, even death itself.
The holiday is commemorated on November 2, when it is believed that the soul of the deceased returns to the world of the living. But the celebration usually begins on October 28 and from then on, each day is dedicated to a different type of death, for example, accidental deaths or children who died. November 1 is All Saints' Day, in honor of those who led a virtuous life, especially children. On November 2, many families go to the cemeteries to bring flowers, candles, and other gifts to the graves. The Cempasuchil flower (marigold), in Atlixco, Mexico, and its bright petals are said to represent the sun and act as a guide for the souls of the dead to return home.
