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Dia De Los Muerertos Altars

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For my cultural project I chose to go to the Dia de los Muertos Contemporary Art and Altar Exhibit by Nopal Cultural at the Eiteljorg Museum
. Upon entering Lilly Auditorium, where the exhibit was held I immediately noticed 12 small altars and one large altar in the back. All of the smaller altars where dedicated to different people. Some of the people featured in the altars include: Mexican singer and songwriter Juan Gabriel, calculus teacher James Escalantes, and Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low. All of the altars were done by different groups or individuals within the community, just as they would be if they were in Mexico and Latin America. They were adorned with various things that the celebrated deceased person would have enjoyed in the life. There were various kinds of foods and candies, alcohol and sprits, votive candles, and pictures all set on top of elaborate tablecloths. One thing that I noticed all of the altars had in common was the presence of the yellow marigold flowers and sugar sculls central to the Dia De Los Muertos tradtion. This trend carried over into …show more content…

What caught my attention when I first walked into the auditorium was all the bright colors and the cheerful music playing in the background. The US couldn’t be any more different in the way that we celebrate the lives of our loves ones. Typically, mourning in the US is associated with dark colors and sadness. We don’t have a holiday that really celebrates our passed ancestors or loved ones the way that Mexico and Latin American counties do. Going to this exhibit really helped me see the difference in Dia De Los Muertos and the United State’s Halloween. Previously, I had thought the two events were kind of similar due to the use of skulls and the celebration aspect. Now I understand that this is not the case, and I feel as if I have a better grasp on the culture and the purpose of this

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