The Day of the Dead combines MesoAmerican ritual, Spanish culture, and European religion that creates a “Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink, and celebration,” according to the History website.
The celebration began around 3,000 years ago and is still widely celebrated today. During the festivities, “the living family members treat the deceased as honored guests in their celebrations, and leave the deceased’s favorite foods and other offerings at gravesites or on the ofrendas (decorated altar) built in their homes.”
In a press release, announced on October 21st, free to the public workshops and upcoming events about Día de Los Muertos will be taking place to learn and celebrate the occasion.
Altares Comunitarios will be held at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center, located at 223 West Jefferson Boulevard. From October 30th through November 3rd, free viewing of the gallery will be open to the public.
According to their press release, “Altares Comunitarios serve to commemorate the memory of loved ones who have passed on.”
Community members can drop off a photograph of loved ones who have passed away, along with “non-precious items” as they “build and display their altar” in the gallery. To be involved in building an altar to honor loved ones, items can be dropped off on Tuesday through Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., from October 23rd through October 29th.
The workshops are an opportunity to create art while celebrating the traditions of Día de Los Muertos. All of these workshops are on a first-come, first-serve basis. If participants want to claim a seat earlier, they may arrive an hour before the scheduled workshop time. Eva Azul is an artist that will be leading each workshop. All of the materials that a participant will need for these workshops will be provided.
The first workshop will be held on October 22nd at 6:30 p.m. at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. Paper Mache Calaveras is where the participant creates a calavera (shape of a human skull) out of paper mache. After it dries, the next step is to decorate it to create a unique masterpiece.
The second workshop will be held on October 23rd at 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. Catrinas is where the participant will paint a “tall female skeleton wearing a fancy hat with feathers” sculpture and then decorate it for the final touches.
Mini Arbol de la Vida is a workshop held on October 29th at 6:30 p.m. at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. This class allows the participant to paint a mini Tree of Life, also known as Arbol de la Vida.
On October 30th, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., an event called Día de Los Muertos Oak Cliff at CocoAndre will take place. The location of this event is 508 West 7th Street at CocoAndre Chocolatier and Horchateria. The first hundred visitors will receive free hot chocolate.
The press release mentions, “This year the celebration will feature free live performances, a small vendor market, and more! Join us for this family-friendly celebration and enjoy a night of free entertainment and celebration.”
According to their website, CocoAndre is a Mexican-American family-owned chocolate shop established in Oak Cliff around eleven years ago. Andrea and Cindy are a mother-daughter duo that creates handmade chocolates while celebrating “heritage, culture, and a story of Mexican-American-Texan mothers.”
On top of the workshops and events being held at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center and CocoAndre’s, other festivities are approaching in Dallas.
Visit Dallas’ website mentions that the Día de Los Muertos parade will be held on October 30th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. It will start and finish at Dallas City Hall.
A festival will be taking place as well from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The celebration will be an “evening filled with live music, a beautiful parade, delicious concessions, fun arts & crafts, and so much more! New for this year will be an after-party with AT&T Discovery District.”
On October 31st, starting at 3:00 p.m., the Día de Los Muertos Concert will be held by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Located at 2301 Flora Street, their website states, “Join us for a vibrant Day of the Dead concert and celebration featuring traditional Latin American music and culture, dazzling guest artists, colorful festivities, and fun-filled events for the whole family.”
Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.dallassymphony.org.
For more information on the workshops and events for Día de Los Muertos, visit www.occc.dallasculture.org.
