Tacoma Museum Present Day Of Dead Celebration

The two weeks of festivities will culminate in a free community celebration on Sunday, November 4, from 12 to 5 pm.

Day of the Dead is an ancient celebration of the eternal cycle of life that spans millennia. The origins of the Dia de los Muertos celebrations can be traced back to the Aztec, Maya, P'urhépecha, Nahua, and Totonac peoples. Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors have been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as many as 3,000 years. In the Aztec calendar, this ritual fell roughly at the end of July. After the Spanish conquest, the Catholic priests moved the celebration to coincide with All Hallows Eve, which has become modern-day Halloween.

Today’s celebrations combine centuries of indigenous practices with New World traditions and spiritual beliefs. Observed in Mexican and Latin American communities on November 1 and 2 (All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day), Dia de los Muertos is a powerful, symbolic celebration in honor of relatives and friends who have died. The belief is that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life; therefore these celebrations are joyous, not mournful.

“Centro Latino has been a wonderful partner in our celebration of Dia de los Muertos these past three years,” said Paula McArdle, Director of Education and Public Programs for Tacoma Art Museum. “We’re honored to work with them again to observe this important Latino cultural tradition and to help organize related festivities on a citywide scale.” -- www.tacomaartmuseum.org