2021 Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Día de los Muertos is celebrated on November 1 and 2 throughout Latin America, but is more closely associated with Mexico, where it originated. A joyous remembrance of the lives of family members and loved ones who have died, the holiday is a celebration of the cycle of life. Traditionally, it is said the souls of the dead return to visit the living for a few brief hours during the celebrations.

In Mexico, Día de los Muertos is marked by festive celebrations to honor the deceased. Cemeteries are cleaned and decorated, special food and candies made, and home altars are designed with offerings (ofrendas) to the dead of the things they enjoyed most in life, including food, drink, and music. Artists featured in this year's exhibition will be Peter Perez and Martín Zúñiga creating large scale installations, with altars designed and created by Latino Service Providers, Extended Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS) and the Puente Project at Santa Rosa Junior College, artisst Mario Uribe, Scott Braun, and Tracy Ferron and Life on Earth Art. On the Museum’s Family Day, 12-4 PM Saturday, October 1, Paquiyollotzin, Ballet Folklorico of Petaluma will perform.

Día de los Muertos is a melding of traditions, Catholic and indigenous. Mexico’s indigenous people preserved their traditions within the accepted practices of the colonial authority, sustaining them through the generations. What has been preserved across time is the message that death is a part of life and the dead live on through our rituals of remembrance.

Sponsorship Opportunities (Oportunidades de Patrocinio):

Be a part of the 26th Annual Día de los Muertos exhibition by becoming a sponsor today! Your contribution helps us present this stunning and beloved exhibition and its public educational programs to our community year after year.

dhopp@museumsc.org, (707) 579-1500 ext. 104 (Deidre)