Join the Hispanic Business Council and the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center for a Day of the Dead celebration on Tuesday, November 1 from 5:30 to 9 PM! This free event is open to the public. Enjoy fun family craft activities, watch local mariachi and folklorico group preformances and purchase festive food in the Food Truck Court. Everyone is encouraged to bring photographs in honor of lost loved ones to display on a Community Altar.
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a tradition first practiced thousands of years ago by indigenous peoples such as the Aztecs and the Toltecs. They didn’t consider death the end of one’s existence but simply another chapter of life. Rather than grieve their dead, ancient Mexicans celebrated the lives of the deceased and honored their memories. During Día de los Muertos, observed Oct. 31- Nov. 2, they believed the dead had a brief window to leave the spirit realm and visit their loved ones in the mortal world. Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos continues to be celebrated throughout Latin America and around the world. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. In Mexico traditions associated with the holiday include creating altars decorated with sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed. In Brazil, the holiday is known as Día de Finados and is marked by visits to cemeteries and churches. In Spain, the day is marked by festivals and parades, graveside observances, and prayer for deceased loved ones.
