Cleveland Public Theatre to Present 20th Annual DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT)/ Teatro Público de Cleveland (TPC), and Día de Muertos Ohio will present the 20th Annual Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival in Cleveland's Detroit Shoreway neighborhood on Saturday, November 2 from 11am to 10pm, to take place at Cleveland Public Theatre, 6205 Detroit Avenue, in the Gordon Square Arts District. / Todos los eventos se llevarán acabo en: Cleveland Public Theatre – Church, Parish Hall, & surrounding area 6205 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102.

ABOUT “DAY OF THE DEAD”

Although its name may sound grim, the Día de los Muertos holiday has its origins in the Aztec rituals of Mexico and other indigenous tribes of Latin America. An internet search of “Día de los Muertos” will yield any number of links to websites explaining and promoting the holiday. But the primary elements of this celebration indicate that the special nature of the occasion is to honor one's ancestors and commemorate beloved ones who have passed. For the Aztecs and others with similar beliefs, honoring and calling upon the ancestors was integrated with harvest festivities, and gathering family to remember past family and friends with fondness and happy memories.

Traditional arts, flowers, food, music, dance, and fun are integral to the cultural mix, as are particular items specific to the holiday, such as the altars (ofrendas). Elements of the earth (salt), wind (cut paper decorations, papeles picados), fire (candles), and water are among the items included on some altars. However, the traditions and rituals are widely varied throughout Mexico, Latin America, Spain, and other countries. When the Spaniards conquered the New World, the indigenous holiday was commingled and integrated with the Catholic All Saints and All Souls Days.

The image of Catrina, the traditional “Lady of the Dead” goddess of the Aztecs, is a smiling skeleton. However gruesome or scary this or the idea of skulls is to Western culture, for the Aztecs skulls symbolized new life. Multiple colorful sculptures of candy skulls (calaveras) and skeletons (catrinas) are bursting with color and created with lighthearted and funny poses of the living. This deeply spiritual and yet exuberant celebration can often reflect more of an attitude about enjoying a higher level of consciousness and living life to the fullest.