Ancient tradition celebrated in Brighton remembers, honors those who have died
Brighton #Brighton
With Dia de los Muertos just a few days away, Coloradans across the state are kicking off their celebrations.
Friday, CHAC and the city of Brighton held a Dia de los Muertos celebration at the Armory Performing Arts Center to kick off the holiday. One of those who attended was Priscila Chicas.
“It just holds a deep meaning and connection like within our hearts,” said Chicas. “It’s really nice to just have everyone together and be a nice family.”
It’s a tradition of honoring the dead with calaveras, ofrendas, and altars. It’s a time to remember one’s ancestors, and it holds a special meaning for many.
“Just letting them know that their memories are still here and that like they’re not forgotten, and that they’re with us,” said Emalee Gonzalez.
The celebration can be traced back thousands of years to the Meso-American peoples.
“Particularly the Aztecs, the Mayans, the Toltecs, these were groups that had already an appreciation for the dead and a very, very unique way of honoring the dead and their loved ones,” said Jonathan Alcantar, a professor with the University of Northern Colorado’s Chicana/o and Latinx studies department. “With the arrival of the Spaniards in the 1500s we see that the tradition incorporates elements of Spanish Catholicism, and that’s the reason why now we celebrate it on November 1st and 2nd.”
Two days of the year for the spiritual realm to connect with the material world. And while many Latinos around the world have always celebrated it, Alcantar said its significance in the United States has evolved.
“We’re also dealing with the commercialization of the holiday, right, so we’re walking this very thin line between appreciating the holiday, celebrating it with respect and the commercialization that we’re seeing in a lot of big chain stores like Target and Walmart,” he said.
Alcantar said it’s about approaching the holiday with respect and recognizing its traditions and history.
“Really learn from communities members, and elders, who have been celebrating or hosting these celebrations in their communities,” said Alcantar.
A celebration to connect with not just the dead but the living.
Several Dia de los Muertos events are being held around the state from Oct. 28 through Nov. 5th.
LINKS TO EVENT INFORMATION: ||CHAC||LONGMONT||CATRINA BALL||AUORA||OLINGER||DAIRY ARTS||UNC||GREELEY||CARLA MADISON||WESTWOOD||MUSEO DENVER||SANTA FE ART||DENVER ART SOCIETY||DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS||