Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican tradition that happens yearly on November 1 and 2. It is a time when people feel close to the loved ones they have lost. People have different ways of celebrating this occasion. Some make altars (ofrendas) in their home and decorate them and place pictures of deceased loved ones on the ofrenda. Some visit the cemetery where their loved ones are buried. Though this holiday recognizes death, it is a celebration of life, and the lives that have come before us. A few iconic symbols from this time are marigolds/cempasúchil flowers and sugar skulls. We invite you to participate in this beautiful, lively tradition that represents a blend of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican and European culture and beliefs, because it’s a time to feel closer not just with ancestors but with one another.
Nuestras Raíces and Valencia Library, in collaboration with the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association, present a Storytime in honor of Día de Muertos:
November 1 at 10 am
Children's Peace Garden, 5901 S. Fiesta Ave.
The garden is located within the Manuel Herrera Jr. Park.
Local author Cynthia Harmony will be reading her book A Flicker of Hope. Along with the Storytime, there will be activities, refreshments (including pan de muerto), and more. We hope to see you there!
Do you want to contribute to a community ofrenda? Valencia Library is creating an ofrenda and community members are welcome to bring photos of loved ones they have lost for the ofrenda. This can include photos of family members, friends, pets, famous people, or even fictional characters. Here is a video of an ofrenda at Valencia from a previous year.
Also, on November 7, Nanini Library will be hosting an event from 3 to 4:30 pm to create memory jars and decorate an ofrenda.
More Día events at local libraries:
- Sugar Skull Decorating at Miller-Golf Links Library - October 24, 2:30 – 3:30 pm
- Lee Con Lele - Día de Muertos Storytime at Flowing Wells Library – October 25, 10:30 – 11:30 am
- Tween Time - Decorate Día de Muertos Sugar Skulls at Oro Valley Public Library - October 28, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
- Harp Performance by Rebecca Reinhard Foreman at Sam Lena-South Tucson Library - October 29, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
- Preschool Bilingual Storytime: Día de los Muertos with Lee Con Lele at Oro Valley Public Library – October 30, 10:00 – 10:45 am
- Beautiful Autumn Harp Music Concert at Kirk-Bear Canyon Library – October 31, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Here are some more ideas for how to celebrate the tradition:
- Check out one of these titles for kids or these titles for teens and adults from the Pima County Public Library catalog.
- Get some inspiration to make your own ofrenda with this list, or make an ofrenda-in-a-box. Use materials available to you. Ofrendas can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be! I’ve seen ofrendas-in-a-box decorated like a collage, with printed images and photos glued inside.
- Discover more about the history of honoring the dead in different cultures with this blog post.
- Make pan de muerto. It’s a delicious traditional sugar bread for Día de Muertos!
- Learn how to paint your face like a sugar skull.
- Read about the history of chocolate and Día de Muertos.
- Listen to this playlist of music for Día de Muertos curated by yours truly.
- Watch this taped live music performance from 2022 in honor of Día de los Muertos. If you don’t yet have a Kanopy account set up, you’ll be prompted to do so when you click the link.
- Enjoy books for kids about the iconic, the one and only, La Catrina!
- Participate in Tucson’s annual All Souls Procession. The All Souls Procession weekend “Honors the Ancestors and our lost loved ones and Celebrates Life.”
And, remember, ¡la cultura nunca muere!
