Our Celebration:
We will be holding celebration for Día de los Muertos in the Branigan Cultural Center and the museum courtyard. Join us on Friday, November 6, from 4:30 P.M. to 7 P.M. to remember those who have passed and celebrate life with food, hands on activities, and entertainment! You can even set up your own ofrenda in our courtyard to celebrate the memory of loved ones. Don’t know what Día de los Muertos is? Click here!
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Friday, November 6:
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- 4:30 P.M. to 7 P.M. – Hands on Activities and Face Painting
- 4:45 P.M. to 5:15 P.M. – Folklorico Performance
- 5:30 P.M. to 6 P.M. – Mariachi Performance
- 6:15 P.M. to 6:45 P.M. – Dance Performance
- Hands-On Activities
- 4:30pm to 7pm
- Museum Courtyard and inside the Branigan Cultural Center
- Face Painting
- 4:30pm to 7pm
- Museum Courtyard
- Dance Performance
- 4:45 P.M. to 5:15 P.M.
- Museum Courtyard
- Mariachi Performance
- 5:30 P.M. to 6 P.M.
- Museum Courtyard
- Dance Performance
- 6:15 P.M. to 6:45 P.M.
- Museum Courtyard
Set up an Ofrenda:
Our ofrendas* are available for anyone, school, or organization in the community to make their own ofrenda for Día de los Muertos. Each ofrenda must fit within a rectangular table we provide. If a larger space is desired (for example for a School, organization, or other community member) you may register for up to two spaces in total. It is suggested that schools register for two spaces, though not required.
Registration is required for setting up an ofrenda. CLICK HERE to register!
* An ofrenda (Spanish: “offering”) is the offering placed in a home altar during the annual and traditionally Mexican Día de los Muertos celebration. To learn more about what an ofrenda is and what sort of things are usually on it, click here!
Ofrendas can be set up any time during normal business hours between 10am on Tuesday, October 27 and 4pm on November 6. Clean up of ofrendas is from 1pm to 4pm on Saturday, November 7. If you can not clean up your ofrenda on November 7, please give us advanced warning and we will make arrangements. Otherwise, all things left over will be disposed of. It is suggested that you bring a way to attach your pieces to the table/tablecloth in case of wind.
Ofrendas may NOT have any of the following:
- Gang affiliations
- Violent depictions
- Alcohol (empty plastic containers are okay)
- Tobacco products
- Weapons
- Glass
- Real candles (LED candles are okay)
- Anything of value including, but not limited to, money and jewelry
What is Día de los Muertos?
Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead or Día de Muertos, is a celebration that honors the memory of those who have died. The holiday has its roots in a mixing of cultures, starting with the Indigenous cultures of Mexico, who celebrated for a month in the name of the goddess Mictecacihuatl, known as “Lady of the Dead.” Once the Spanish arrived in Mexico, bringing with them Roman Catholicism, the holiday was shrunk down to usually two days that lined up with two Christian holidays, All Saints’ Day on November 1, and All Souls’ Day on November 2. Some people also include All Saints’ Eve/All Hollows’ Eve, October 31.
Today, November 1 is often referred to as “Día de los Inocentes” (Day of the Innocent), or “Día de los Angelitos” (Day of the Little Angels), and is to remember children who have passed. November 2 therefore is “Día de los Difuntos” or the “Day of the Dead,” and honors adults. The holiday is mostly recognized in Mexico, though other parts of Latin and North America participate as well. The celebrations usually involve visiting the grave of loved ones, building altars called ofrendas, decorating with marigolds, papel picado banners, pictures of deceased family and friends, skulls and skeletons, and leaving food at the altar-usually a sweet bread called pan de muerto or muertos, and some of the deceaseds’ favorite foods and drinks.
New Mexico has several large events for the holiday in Santa Fe, Mesilla, Albuquerque, and many more. Here at the Branigan Cultural Center, we allow community members to set up their own ofrendas in our courtyard and visit us to learn more about Hispanic culture through dance, music, food, and fun!
What is an Ofrenda?
An ofrenda is an altar for the dead. Here is some information about what normally goes on an ofrenda and the meaning behind it!
