The Worcester Art Museum’s will celebrate Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with a Community Day on Saturday, November 1, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is free admission from 10 a.m. to noon. This vibrant festival celebrates life with altars, live music, cultural performances, and activities for children reflecting the traditions associated with this Mexican holiday that remembers the lives of family members and friends who have died.
“The Worcester Art Museum is thrilled to be hosting the Dia de los Muertos Community Day,” said Katrina Stacy, WAM Assistant Curator of Education. “This day-long event is open to visitors of all ages and the Worcester community. It is a wonderful tradition that celebrates and honors the dead. No matter what our heritage is, we all have one thing in common: we have lost someone important to us.”
The colorful, lively event provides the opportunity to rejoice in the living memories of loved ones and enjoy music, dance, and Mexican culture combined with fun activities for children and families. The Worcester Art Museum celebration will offer traditional art-making activities associated with Dia de los Muertos, such as creating iconic, fancy skull masks and colorful papel picado (pierce paper) banners. Youngsters are encouraged to wear their Day of the Dead skull masks during a noontime parade through the Museum.
Other planned activities and entertainment include the building of a large community altar in the Museum’s lobby to display mementos of loved ones, lively mariachi music played by Gian Carlo Buscaglia, and traditional Mexican dance performances by students from the Ritmos Academy.
Dia de los Muertos, one of Mexico’s most distinctive holidays, is considered a day of cheerful celebration rather than one of mourning. Officially celebrated on November 1 and 2, the holiday has spread in recent years from Mexico to America and beyond. It is now celebrated by Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, and countless others around the globe who feel a deep affinity for these two special days that honor the dead.
“The Worcester Art Museum is pleased to bring Mexico’s long-established Dia de los Muertos traditions to the Worcester community,” Stacy said. For more information on Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Community Day at Worcester Art Museum, visit worcesterart.org or call 508.799.4406.
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Community Day is generously sponsored by Unum. Our cultural partner is Centro Las Americas and media sponsor is Worcester Magazine.