Day of the Dead–what’s all the fuss?
Chicago is home to a melting pot of cultures. It makes it extremely accessible to travel to another country without taking a long flight. All you have to do is take a 10 minute bus ride on the CTA. This month, take a trip to Pilsen, the Mini-Mexico City, located in the lower west of Chicago.
It is home to the many colorful murals of Chicago. This October do not miss out on visiting the National Museum of Mexican Art -for FREE!
The exhibit features Rito y Recuerdo: Day of the Dead. This is an opportunity to learn about the Mexican holiday celebrated Oct 31ST –Nov 2nd. Their hours will also be extended: October 10 and November 21, 6PM – 8PM.
The story goes that the first day is dedicated to honoring all of the children who have passed away. The second day is dedicated to the adults. Finally, the last day is held as a community gathering with all your loved ones to celebrate life and the mysteries of death. During the celebration, an alter is set up usually in the most important place in your home and where there is the most traffic. In many cases, it is the living room or kitchen. A black or colorful mantle is placed over the alter as a decoration. FYI: Before the 21st century it was required to make your alter form banana tree leafs and no metal nails. However, the generation has changed that tradition so you can celebrate in any part of the world, even if there are no banana trees around. This is where a picture of your loved one who has passed away is placed. Later, the family will round up all of the favorite items such as food, possessions, and flower of your passed away loved one to place on the alter as an offering. Lastly, you must place special made sugar skulls and baked fresh bread as a special piece to your loved one’s offering. The process of decorating and making your families offering the most beautiful process and what gets the family excited to take part in this celebration. My favorite part is crafting the Papel picada, which are cut outs of colorful paper that are hung all over the home during those days.