For those of you who aren’t familiar with Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), it may seem like a creepy, Tim Burton-ish version of Halloween. In fact, it’s a pretty cool Mexican holiday where family and friends come together and remember loved ones who have died by building altars using sugar skulls, marigolds and favorite food of the departed. It’s a time of celebration with parties, parades and lots of eating.
I’m not of Mexican descent, but I started celebrating Dia de Los Muertos in college when I was studying Spanish and loved how the holiday celebrates life without cheesy greeting cards.
How do you celebrate the holiday, you ask? Why, with skeleton figurines and paper decorations of course!
And luckily for us Decaturites, Mingei World Arts has some wonderful Dia de Los Muertos figurines.
Even better, Mingei is hosting its very own Day of the Dead event this Sunday, Oct. 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. Celebrations include sugar skull cookie decorating, making sugar skull masks, enjoying Mexican treats and decorating Mingei’s Day of the Dead alter.
The store also has wonderful clay, wood, ceramic and paper mache figures, Day of the Dead jewelry, hanging muertos decorations and tin skull lanterns.
So come on out and celebrate Dia de Los Muertos Decatur-style!
