In partnership with Chispa – Centro Hispano de Maine, Downtown Bangor celebrates the Dia de lose Muretos, or Day of the Dead. The event begins at the Bangor Public Library with a presentation about the holiday and its cultural importance. Attendees will then be able to create a variety of crafts associated with the holiday. The afternoon will end with a walk to a community oferenda, or altar, which will be decorated in a traditional way, and a small ceremony will honor the memory of the beloved departed.
About the Day of the Dead
On the Day of the Dead, family and friends gather to remember those who have died, pay their respects, and celebrate their lives. Widely observed in Mexico and by those of Mexican descent, it includes a mix of pre-contact Indigenous and Spanish Christian practices.
This event is an opportunity for the community to gather, create and decorate an outdoor altar, and recognize and celebrate their beloved departed by sharing food and memories. After decorations are created, the altar will be decorated and candles lit, food will be shared, and the dead will be celebrated. Participants will be able to bring home some decorations to create an altar at home and the remaining items will be added to the ofrenda at Happy Endings.
We’ll have a presentation on the celebration and its cultural importance, and then make a variety of beautiful crafts associated with the holiday, such as:
- Cempazúchitl – marigold flower decorations
- Papel picado – cut paper decorations
- Monarch butterflies – connected to the spirits of beloved dead
- Personal memorials – create a frame for a photo of a loved one to display on the altar and then take home.
- Calaveras – sugar skulls decorated with frosting
We’ll take them to an outdoor altar which we’ll decorate in the traditional way as we remember special people in our lives who have passed on and celebrate their memory.
In the evening, those interested can join the Latin Music Night at Happy Endings Martini Bar, where there will be an ofrenda. Costumes are encouraged for this event!
About “CHISPA” Centro Hispano
The mission of “CHISPA” Centro Hispano is to facilitate and promote the socio-cultural values and education, uniting the Hispanic community in Maine and those that identify with it.