Corpus Christi Dia de los Muertos festival is back

CORPUS CHRISTI -

In just one day part of downtown Corpus Christi will be filled with color and life. This Saturday the annual El Dia de los Muertos festival is back.

Also known as the Day of the Dead, this is a tradition that started in Mexico and has been celebrated for thousands of years.

Close to 30,000 people are expected to take part in one of Corpus Christi’s premiere Dia de los Muertos celebrations in the streets of  downtown and the Marina Art District.

The Corpus Christi Dia de los Muertos festival will be held October 28th; that’s when they will celebrate their 10th anniversary and the life and death of lost loved ones.

According to event organizers, Dia de los Muertos is one of the most important holidays in Mexico and many South American countries.

The Dia de los Muertos Street Festival is hosted by K Space Contemporary, Axis Tattoo, Electra Art, with assistance from the House of Rock.  This year’s event will start at 3pm and end at midnight.

This annual festival has been listed as one of the Top 10 Dia de los Muertos celebrations in the United States and gives people a chance to experience an important Mexican holiday and explore ten blocks of downtown Corpus Christi.

There you’ll find arts and crafts booths, food and drink vendors, kids’ activities, an altar exhibit, or ofrenda, and three stages of live music and dance

Mexicans have been honoring Day of the Dead, (or All Souls Day and All Saints Day as it's also known by Catholics) for thousands of years. It's based on two principles in particular: One, it celebrates the lives of people who've passed away by luring them with gifts so they return to visit us; and two, it's about reminiscing with friends and family, among brightly-colored decorations such as luminous marigolds, strands of hanging papel picado, and ornate calaca ( spirited skeletons).

What is Dia de los Muertos?

Dia de los Muertos is a celebration of deceased loved ones. It is believed that the gates of heaven are opened every year late on Oct. 31, and the spirits of deceased children are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours.

Nov. 2 is when the spirits of deceased adults join their families.

How did it start?

The celebration is centuries old. It was begun in Mexico and is widely celebrated there still. Dia de los Muertos is a blend of Aztec celebrations honoring the dead and Spanish Catholic beliefs.

How is it celebrated?

The observance of Dia de los Muertos is elaborate. Altars are constructed and decorated with candles, flowers, food and drink. Toys are left for deceased children, and cigarettes and mescal, an alcoholic beverage similar to tequila, are left for deceased adults.

To finish the altar, or ofrendas, skulls made of sugar and decorated with frosting are put into place. The sugar skulls are often purchased at open-air markets.

The altars and accompanying feasts can be expensive, but celebrants sacrifice and save to put on the annual celebrations to honor their departed loved ones. 

The celebrations begin in the home, but by the afternoon of Nov.2, the festivities move to the cemetery, where family members clean graves, listen to music and talk about the dead.

Source: kristv