Day of dead exhibit provides education
By Jose Corado
Daily Forty-Niner
A paper mache skeleton with a message in
its hand reading "the best quality of my ancestors is being dead" reflects
the Latin American attitude toward death, accepting it as an integral part
of life.
The skeleton stands next to a Mexican altar,
one of three altars created by the Museum of Latin American Art to pay
tribute to 20th century Latin American artists in a exhibition of Dia de
los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
"The whole idea was to educate people about
Day of the Dead," said Susan Golden, spokeswoman of the museum. "It was
a major educational effort."
Many people don't understand what the holiday
means, Golden said. She said that people think it is related to Halloween.
One altar is decorated in honor of Mexico,
another in honor of South America and the last one in honor of Central
America and the Caribbean.
The Mexican altar is designed in honor
of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Rufino Tamamyo.
This altar is decorated with papel picado
(cut paper) banners, candles, lace, skeletons and skulls.
The South American altar pays honor to
Ecuadorian artists Oswaldo Guayasamin and Eduardo Kingman.
This altar is decorated to reflect the
mountainous South American region.
It includes grass decorations, paper streamers,
and gold leaf and beads.
The Central American/Caribbean altar reflects
the tropical vegetation of the region incorporating palm fronds, flowers,
fruits, Santeria relics and brightly colored cloth.
According to information posted in the
exhibition, the festival of Day of the Dead has its origins in pre-Columbian
times when relatives of a dead loved one would build an altar to Tlalòc,
god of rain, or Cuatlicu/, goddess of life.
These altars were adorned with statues
of the deities along with favorite possessions and foods of the deceased
in the belief that all of these things were necessary for a safe and happy
final journey.
In the tradition of Dia de los Muertos,
recently departed relatives and friends are specially honored.
Latin Americans view this not as sad day,
but as a happy day because one's loved relatives are remembered.
"This is a celebration of the cycle of
life." Golden said.
"In our culture in particular, death is
seen as the finality rather than part of the cycle of life,"
"It is a holiday that supports life and
the living," she said.
"In the remembrance they come alive again." |
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