Skull Candy

W

hile

most revelers have been busy preparing jack-’o-lanterns and bowls of candy for Halloween, there are several opportunities in Santa Fe to celebrate another longtime tradition that is essential to many members of the local community. Día de Los Muertos is a vibrant celebration that brings people together every year to memorialize the lives of those who have passed. This weekend, two of the city’s biggest cultural centers offer activities, music and food to celebrate the holiday.

Día de Los Muertos' focus is to celebrate life rather than focus on the more somber elements of mourning. To this end, celebrations are focused around food, music, dancing and community. When the tradition began in Mexico, it was widely believed that the dead would be offended by the living remembering them through grief and melancholy. To this day, people hold to these values of grieving through revelry and togetherness.

The Museum of International Folk Art hosts two days of activities. On Saturday, Nov. 1 from 5-7 pm, the museum invites those who have lost loved ones to bring photographs or mementos to help decorate the ofrenda—an altar that is a centerpiece to reflecting on the lives of the dead. The proceedings are accompanied by live music from Mariachi Buenaventura to provide the jovial atmosphere that is paramount to the holiday. On Sunday, Nov. 2 from 1-4 pm, the museum provides activities highlighting other aspects of the celebration, such as the decorating of the sugar skulls. The day's events are included in the price of admission.

Stephanie Riggs, the bilingual educator at the museum, spoke to SFR about the importance of the holiday. "Our basis is to promote cultural practices all over the world. [The holiday] is a big part of Mexican, Hispanic and Latino culture," she said, adding that the museum also wants to show people that this weekend is "not just about Halloween."

El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe is also celebrating with the kickoff of their Winter Market on Saturday, Nov. 1 from 8 am-3 pm and the following day from 9 am-4 pm. In addition to hosting several vendors of everything from art, textiles, jewelry and books, the market presents art, music, dancing and food for everyone to enjoy. Market-goers can also expect a large community ofrenda should they wish to bring picture or decorations to memorialize their loved ones. Different shrines are on display as well, showcasing heritage and traditions of artists from a wide range of belief systems including Voodoo, Judaism, traditional Catholicism and others.

Maria Martinez, who is organizing the event, is excited to share cultural celebrations from a perspective that she says communicates the core of the holiday with "another accent."

Martinez says the event stays true to the core tenets of celebrating life. She emphasizes the philosophy of celebrating death as a part of life, saying, "You dance with death, you flirt with death and you respect death."

Santa Fe Reporter