At this time of year everyone is going Halloween crazy… and we’ve been right in the spirit of it, suggesting costume ideas, exploring the history of the festival, and helping you find the Halloween party that’s right for you and your brood. But there’s another event around now which also puts the grin on the skeletons’ faces, and that’s Mexico’s “Dia de los Muertos,” the Day of the Dead.
It may not seem like an appropriate festival to celebrate with kids, but on the contrary, the Dia de los Muertos is very much a family occasion. It’s not about fearing or mourning our departed loved ones, but about celebrating their lives. The world got to know the Day of the Dead better through Disney-Pixar’s much-loved 2017 movie Coco.
The 2017 Disney Pixar move Coco made the Dia De los Muertos known around the world
One of the most distinctive visual symbols of the festival is the brightly-painted “sugar skull,” and this image is at the center of an exhibition at the Contemporary Art Culture Center, above Destination on Gongti Xilu. The exhibition will open at 5pm on November 1 in a ceremony at which the Mexican Ambassador, his Excellency José Luis Bernal, will be present. It then runs until November 10, from 10am to 6pm every day except Monday, and is free to visit.
Meanwhile, for the grown-ups, El Barrio is holding a Day of the Dead party on Saturday November 2, with a live Mariachi band, while Pachapapi is rocking it Latin-style on Friday November 1.
But if you don’t fancy getting a babysitter and sampling some tequila, you can still celebrate the Dia de los Muertos with your kids. Why not put together a traditional memorial for someone you’ve lost? Decorate a table with candles, skull decorations, and souvenirs from your loved one’s life: photos, cherished possessions, even their favorite food. Then – and this is the important thing – share happy memories of their life, tell funny stories, sing songs they loved. It should not be a morbid occasion, but a joyous one.
To all Mexican and Latin American friends, and to everyone celebrating this occasion, we at beijingkids say “Feliz, Dia de los Muertos!”
Photo: Gengiskanhg via Wikimedia Commons, rottentomatoes.com, courtesy of【ART·DES】
