Friday, October 7, 2011

Mexican Day of the Dead event a way to remember loved ones

By Suzanne Hoholik
The Columbus Dispatch Sunday November 1, 2009 6:12 AM


Leticia Vazquez-Smith of the Latino Arts for Humanity, sponsor of the event, lights a candle at an altar.
The rice pudding, mole sauce, bread, fruits and vegetables on the altar are not for guests.

The food is for the souls of the dead women whose pictures were on the altar as part of the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

Ancient indigenous people of Mexico believed the souls of dead loved ones come back to roam the earth for a short time. When the souls return, they need incense to cleanse the area of bad spirits, water because they're thirsty from their journey, candles to guide them, flowers to make them happy and their favorite food dishes.

All these things and more are placed on altars honoring family members and friends who have died.

"The celebration of the day of the dead is the celebration of life itself," said Leticia Vazquez-Smith of the Latino Arts for Humanity, which sponsored a local Day of the Dead festival.

The two-day event was Friday and yesterday at the Columbus Music Hall in the Olde Towne East neighborhood on the Near East Side.

Seven altars honored people who had died. There were poetry readings, movies, music, food and conversations about death.

"People shared stories of people they loved who had died, and they felt closer to them," Vazquez-Smith said.

Dawn Rondot brought her husband and three children to the event to learn more about the Latino culture. She teaches Spanish at Indianola Middle School.

"I think it has value for them to see other cultures," she said of her children. "This gives them exposure to other cultures without getting it from a book."

The holiday formerly was in August to coincide with the harvest in Mexico. But after the Spanish conquest, it blended with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

Rondot's 16-year-old daughter, Victoria, is studying Spanish. She spent yesterday morning researching the Day of the Dead online before going to the local event.

She liked the colorful altars packed full of figurines, pictures, food and candles.

"I like that the altar is devoted to specific people," Victoria said.

"It's really kind of cool how they honor their dead."

No comments: