Community invited to Rochester Day of the Dead celebration on October 27 – Post Bulletin

The community is invited to a celebration of life and remembrance as part of a new Día de los Muertos community event. Day of the Dead, in Rochester.

People can share in the beauty of Day of the Dead art and culture and honor loved ones in a shared space of joy and reflection on Sunday, October 27, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rochester Art Center. The day’s events include alebrije (spirit creature) making, performances of Mexican dances and Aztec legends, art activities, poetry making, face painting and a memory wall activity. Ofrendas (traditional Day of the Dead altars) are displayed to honor loved ones. There is also Mexican food and the opportunity to view the current art exhibitions.

Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout Mexico from late October to early November with gatherings of family and friends to celebrate the lives of deceased loved ones, according to a news release announcing the event in Rochester.

As with some Mexican festivals, event participants can also appear dressed as Catrín or Catrina. The Catrina is a popular symbol on the Day of the Dead, symbolizing death. According to the press release, it became a symbol during the colonial era to mock death and Mexico’s socioeconomic status. The Catrina dresses very elegantly, with a long dress and a wide hat decorated with flowers or feathers. Wearing a formal suit, Catrín is Catrina’s eternal lover and her party partner in life and death.

The event is hosted by the Rochester Art Center, Listos Preschool and Childcare, the Alliance of Chicanos, Hispanics, and Latin Americans, and several Mayo Clinic departments and groups, including the Mayo Clinic Bereavement Advisory Committee, the Somos Latinos Mayo Employee Resource Group, and the Dolores Jean Lavins Center for the Humanities in Medicine.

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