Carleton College will host a service and celebration on Friday, Nov. 2 in the Severance Great Hall beginning at 6 p.m. to commemorate the ‘Day of the Dead.’ Besides a religious ceremony, the event will feature food and dancing, and members of the community are invited to bring objects symbolizing remembrance of departed loved ones for a special alter display. This annual event is free and open to the public.
The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is a traditional Mexican holiday rooted in indigenous culture, and it is celebrated on November 1 (All Saints’ Day) and November 2 (All Souls’ Day). It is meant to honor friends and family who have died, with dead children often being honored on the first day and dead adults on the second. People go to cemeteries to be closer to their dead and build private altars containing items significant to the person being mourned, such as favorite foods, toys or flowers. Gifts such as sugar skulls (calaveras de azúcar) are often given to the dead. The Day of the Dead is an important national holiday in Mexico, and it is widely celebrated among Mexican communities in the United States, including the sizeable one in Minnesota’s Rice County.
This event is sponsored by the Chaplain’s Office, the Latin American Student Organization, and the Department of American Studies. For more information about this event, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4003. Severance Hall is located on College Street on the Carleton College campus in Northfield.
