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Free Day of the Dead celebrations on Halloween weekend and Monday
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Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar.
Day of the Dead celebrations begin in New York City today and run through Monday evening. Many local churches and community organizations sponsor events, but the biggest and most festive ones, that are free and open to the general public, take place at El Museo del Barrio and St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery.
The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos) is the Mexican and Latin American version of All Souls’ Day, observed in Catholic cultures on November 2nd. All Saints Day, on November 1st, is also an important part of the celebrations. The Catholic holiday on November 1st honors all the saints, known and unknown, while November 2nd honors the faithful who have departed the world.
But the Mexican tradition is a syncretic one that combines Catholic rituals with ancient Aztec, Olmec, Mayan, Mixtec and Zapotec traditions. In Mexico today, may people build altars in their homes to honor family members who have died. There they place offerings for their loved ones, including food, flowers and tobacco. It is also traditional to visit the graves of family members and many families in Mexico pass the night in the graveyard, burning candles and playing music to honor the spirits of their ancestors. In New York City, one center for Mexican religious celebrations is Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on West 14th Street.
For the general public, El Museo del Barrio holds El Día de los Muertos celebrations and activities on Saturday, October 31. On the Lower East Side, the Mexican community organization Mano-a-Mano sponsors workshops and events at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, beginning today and running through Monday evening. A festive time is guaranteed for all!
Click on the links below for complete schedules of these activities.
El Museo del Barrio – 1230 Fifth Avenue (at 104th Street) – 212-831-7272
Mano-a-Mano: St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery – 131 East 10th Street (at 2nd Avenue)
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