Día de los Muertos celebrations are about to begin!
By hola | Published | No Comments
“Día de los Muertos,” or Day of the Dead, dates back millennia. It’s been upheld and celebrated throughout the years in Mexico, other Latin American countries and increasingly in the United States.
A Mesoamerican celebration that honors those who have passed and helps those still on earth to bridge life and death, Día de los Muertos takes place over Nov. 1–2. Each year, people spend those days honoring the deceased by celebrating their memories with family and friends, dressing up in traditional garments and masks, and leaving “ofrendas,” the Spanish word for offerings, on altars. Some also engage in the ritual of adorning their loved ones’ graves or participate in candlelight processions through the streets.
Contemporary Día de los Muertos celebrations in the U.S. began after Chicano/a educators and artists traveled to Mexico in the 1970s to learn more about Mexican culture. This inspired the adoption of customs like setting up altars in public spaces to celebrate their roots as a form of political and cultural empowerment.
Today, the holiday is a unifying event that brings the diverse U.S. Latine population together, which may be more urgent than ever currently in the context of the nation’s current political and social atmosphere.
This year, in Washington, D.C., a few Día de los Muertos events may not take place due to the federal shutdown. The Smithsonian museums have been closed indefinitely since Oct. 12, including the National Portrait Gallery and National Museum of the American Indian, two institutions known for their Día de los Muertos festivities. Elsewhere, in Long Beach, California, and a few other cities, organizers have canceled parades and public events this year. Nonetheless, celebrations are still unfolding in a variety of ways around the country.
For local readers in Washington, D.C., and Boston, Massachusetts, read on to learn about Día de los Muertos events taking place near you. Whether you want to take your family out for an educational and cultural experience or have a night out with friends, these events will offer a chance to honor your loved ones and participate in Latine culture.
(courtesy of Muertos celebrated on the Greenway)
– Story by SPEL’s Arts and Humanities and Boston story teams: Sofia Cortés, Valeria Lopez,
Marlene Orantes, Jessica Mendez-Perez and Chabelli Hernandez
– Copy edited by Valerie Izquierdo and Kami Waller
Recent Stories
