Yakima Morelia Sister City Association

Dia de los Muertos

THE 2011 ALTAR EXHIBIT & COMMUNITY CELEBRATION

The Yakima-Morelia Sister City Association will host its 7th annual Dia de los Muertos Community Altar Exhibit in downtown Yakima. The exhibit, featuring up to 30 community created altars, will be open daily Noon to 6:00pm from Saturday October 29th through Sunday November 5th, at 317 East Yakima Avenue, (the former Yakima Mall). Admission is free. The altars are created by local businesses, individuals, organizations and schools. School tours will be held in the mornings. We expect that 600 people will visit the exhibit this year.

Dia de los Muertos is a vibrant, festive traditional celebration of remembrance in the cultures of Latino people around the world. At the exhibit, you'll learn about this rich cultural event, which is blend of Aztec traditions of remembering the dead and the Catholic tradition of celebration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day tradition brought by the Spanish conquistadors. We invite all of our Valley's cultures to share their traditions in honoring the lives of those who have died. This includes relatives, friends, special heroes, and especially the Angelitos (the little children). Our goal is to provide a shared cultural experience for our community and to bring people to downtown Yakima.

Dia de los Muertos Chamber Orchestra Concert

Join us on October 29, 2011 at 7:30pm at The Seasons Performance Hall (101 N. Naches Ave.) to hear the Yakima Symphony Chamber Orchestra. Call 248-1414 for ticket information, or visit http://yakimasymphony.org/concerts/chamber.cfm

HISTORY

In 2005, a group of community organizations including The Yakima Symphony, The Yakima-Morelia Sister City Association, For A Better Tomorrow, the Yakima Valley Museum and individual community leaders came together to bring the first Annual Dia de los Muertos exhibit to Yakima.

Yakima's first exhibit opened with 11 altars built by local community organizations. Several downtown businesses also participated by building altars. The exhibition was very well received, and the Yakima School District was contacted to have its students tour the exhibit. Starting in 2006, the Yakima Symphony brought a pianist from Morelia's 300 year old Conservatoria de las Rosas to perform in Yakima at The Seasons Performance Hall for a Special Noche De Muertos Concert.

ALTARS

The structure of the majority of the altars is stacked boxes in three tiers. The three tiers represent birth, life and after life.

Altars can be made in many ways. From traditional to modern; commemorating loved ones, community leaders and even our pets. If you, your family, group/organization would like to build an Altar in our Yakima Exhibit, please contact Margaret at maluera06@aol.com

PAST PARTICIPANTS

  • The Yakima Valley Chapter American Red Cross
  • YWCA
  • Lucia Gonzales-Adams Family
  • Catholic Family & Child Service Parents as Teachers Program
  • Yakima Police Athletic League
  • Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic
  • Children's Village
  • A.C. Davis High School Spanish Literature Class
  • Maryrose George-Gonzalez Family
  • Susan Whitman
  • Terri Aguilera-Flemming
  • La Casa Hogar
  • Barrios Unidos
  • Yakima Valley Museum
  • Yakima-Morelia Sister City Association
  • Allied Arts of Yakima Valley
  • Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxilary
  • Wags to Riches Animal Rescue
  • Consejo Radio KDNA
  • Adilene Delgado/Laura Rodriguez
  • Heritage University
  • Filipino-American Community
  • Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Heath
  • Los Bailadores del Sol

Altar Walk Participants 2011 TBA

IN KIND SPONSORS

2011

  • Pepsi-Cola
  • Filipino American Community
  • Kana Winery
  • Radio Cadena/KDNA
  • Screening Mimies
  • Yakima Herald Republic / El Sol De Yakima
  • YPD Yakima Police Athletic League (YPAL)Achievers
  • Doug Johnson

IMAGERY

According to Mexican Folklore, "La Catrina" --also known as death-- can show herself in many different ways. Sometimes she is dressed in a rather elaborate, festive way. This conspicuous --and perennial-- guest is paradoxically also associated with the joy of life in the face of the imminence and inevitability of death. We only live once and La Catrina, with her mischievous smile, pleads with us to seize the moment and through music --and perhaps a little dance--, find life's meaning. Marigolds, the "flower of the dead," are an important symbol. Their scent is believed to attract the souls and draw them back.

Papel picado ("perforated paper") is the Mexican art of papercutting into elaborate designs. The designs are commonly cut from tissue paper using a guide and small chisels, creating as many as forty banners at a time. Vibrant pink, orange, and purple are the key tones employed for ofrendas (offerings) associated with the Day of the Dead.

TOURS

Students will:

  • Recognize that cultures have celebrations unique to them.
  • Learn that a holiday celebrated by one ethnic culture may be honored in many countries as the cultural group disperses among different areas.
  • Understand the significance of the altars in relation to a particular culture.

For Information on the 2011 exhibit, altar building or exhibit tours, please contact:


2008 Dia de los Muertos
2009 Dia de los Muertos
2010 Sun Fair Parade