From Cleveland Public Theatre
Halloween grabs all the attention every autumn, but don’t miss out on an equally festive celebration: the Day of the Dead.
Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT)/ Teatro Público de Cleveland (TPC), and Día de Muertos Ohio present the 20th Annual Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival in Cleveland’s Detroit Shoreway neighborhood on Saturday, Nov. 2 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at and near the Cleveland Public Theatre, 6205 Detroit Avenue, in the Gordon Square Arts District.
The parade kicks off at 3:30 along Detroit Avenue. Enjoy the incredible altar installations, arts and crafts, Latin food, live music and free entertainment for all ages.
ABOUT DAY OF THE DEAD
Although its name may sound grim, the Día de los Muertos holiday originates in the Aztec rituals of Mexico and other indigenous tribes of Latin America. An internet search of “Día de los Muertos” will yield any number of links to websites explaining and promoting the holiday. But the primary elements of this celebration indicate that the special nature of the occasion is to honor one’s ancestors and commemorate beloved ones who have passed. For the Aztecs and others with similar beliefs, honoring and calling upon the ancestors was integrated with harvest festivities, and gathering family to remember past family and friends with fondness and happy memories.
Traditional arts, flowers, food, music, dance, and fun are integral to the cultural mix, as are particular items specific to the holiday, such as the altars (ofrendas). Elements of the earth (salt), wind (cut paper decorations, papeles picados), fire (candles), and water are among the items included on some altars. However, the traditions and rituals are widely varied throughout Mexico, Latin America, Spain, and other countries. When the Spaniards conquered the New World, the indigenous holiday was commingled and integrated with the Catholic All Saints and All Souls Days.
The image of Catrina, the traditional “Lady of the Dead” goddess of the Aztecs, is a smiling skeleton. However gruesome or scary this or the idea of skulls is to Western culture, for the Aztecs skulls symbolized new life. Multiple colorful sculptures of candy skulls (calaveras) and skeletons (catrinas) are bursting with color and created with lighthearted and funny poses of the living. This deeply spiritual and yet exuberant celebration can often reflect more of an attitude about enjoying a higher level of consciousness and living life to the fullest.
