DIA DE LOS MUERTOS!

I’ve always been fascinated with Mexican culture, its art, its music, its FOOD. And now, one of its holidays. Now that I’m 17, Halloween is not nearly as fun as it was when I was 11. Instead, I’ve found a new, even more entertaining holiday to celebrate.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS! (Day of the Dead) 

This holiday falls on November 1 (coincidentally, my birthday) and is celebrated in Mexico and by many Latin Americans living in the United States. Currently, a Day of the Dead exhibit is up at Mattie Rhodes, an art gallery in the West Side. The exhibit commemorates several departed loved ones, including Senator Ted Kennedy and musician Michael Jackson. The exhibit will be up until November 20.

My favorite aspect of Dia de los Muertos is the art.  Many make skulls out of sugar, and decorate them with sparkles and paint. The dazzling skeletons mixed with the colorful fabric of their clothes remind me of the artwork of famed Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo. 

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Probably my second favorite aspect of this Mexican holiday would be the tone that it is set in. Rather than mourning their losses, families gather in remembrance, to celebrate the lives of their loved ones in a joyous atmosphere. Families and friends gather in cemeteries on this day to communicate with the departed souls. The group is meant to encourage the souls of their loved ones to  visit with them,  and hear the prayers and comments from those still living.

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What better way to remember one’s life than to gather in a joyful setting, in which families and friends share their loved one’s accomplishments and humorous anecdotes?