October 31, 2022

Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is November 2nd. The holiday celebrates the souls of the dead who return to visit living family members. People celebrate this day by visiting the graves of family members and also by creating ofrendas (altars) for loved ones displaying their favorite foods, items of meaning, photos, and marigold flowers. Look for images of La Calavera Catrina, (the elegant skull) a skeleton figure with vibrant makeup and often a flamboyant feathery hat to make an appearance in images and events.  Try remembering a lost loved one by creating your own ofrenda this year.

Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday and we are fortunate that the Bay Area has some of the largest and most vibrant Dia de los Muertos celebrations around. Local artists and musicians started celebrating with events earlier this month, and you can still celebrate with the Azteca Dancers Dia de los Muertos San Jose November 2, 2022.

Best,

Susan Popko
Associate Provost for International Programs

 

Is there an international holiday you would like to see featured in an upcoming newsletter? Fill out this form and let us know why it is important to you and how you will be celebrating it this year. We will give primary consideration to international holidays from countries that have not already been highlighted.