This blog post is by Samantha N., Joel D. Valdez Main Library.
Día de Muertos is a Mexican celebration to remember loved ones who have passed that happens annually on November 1 and 2.
It is a blend of Indigenous and Spanish traditions with roots in pre-Columbian times. People visit cemeteries to clean and put flowers on the graves of their ancestors. At home, many families make ofrendas, or altars. They decorate them with photos, cempazúchitl (marigold) flowers, and leave food or treats for the deceased. It is a time when people feel close to spirits of those they have lost.
Are you looking for ways to participate in this tradition? Here are a few ideas.
- Check out one of these books or movies about Día de Muertos from the Pima County Public Library catalog.
- Get some inspiration to make your own ofrenda with this list, or make an ofrenda-in-a-box.
- Discover more about the history of honoring the dead in different cultures with this blog post.
- Make pan de muerto. It’s a delicious traditional sugar bread for Día de Muertos!
- Learn how to paint your face like a sugar skull.
- Read about the history of chocolate and Día de Muertos.
- Funny Bones, a picture book by Duncan Tonatiuh, tells the history of how José Guadalupe (Lupe) Posada’s calavera (skeleton) drawings became iconic symbols, especially for Día de Muertos.
- Listen to this playlist of music for Día de Muertos curated by yours truly.
- Participate in Tucson’s annual All Souls Procession. The All Souls Procession weekend “Honors the Ancestors and our lost loved ones and Celebrates Life.”
¡La cultura nunca muere!
