Dia de los Muertos Altar Installed in Library
Last week, a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar by Los Angeles-based artist Rigo Maldonado was installed in Baker-Berry Library. Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday celebrated around the world, honors deceased friends and family members through various festivities, with a special focus on altar-building.
The celebration takes place each year on October 31, November 1 and November 2. The altars, traditionally called ofrendas, honor, rather than mourn, the deceased through incorporation of certain objects. Common items on the altars include sugar skulls, marigolds, photos of the deceased, and favorite foods and beverages of the deceased.
Tradition says that during the Dia de los Muertos holiday, the dead come back to enjoy their altars. The holiday can be traced back to indigenous observances that took place hundreds of years ago, and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The altar will be on display in the library from November 1 through November 7.
Maldonado hosted altar-building workshops on October 28 and October 31 at the Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies (LALACS) House, and spoke at a public lecture on November 1. The Dia de los Muertos celebration also includes a Celebration of Life: Day of the Dead Dinner on November 1 at the LALACs House.