Extra Credit: Dia de los Muertos at SPARC

On Sunday, November 1^st, I attended the Social and Public Art Center in Venice California, where I had the opportunity to first-hand witness the indigenous ritual and practices of el Dia de Los Muertos. I grew up in a Mexican household and was aware of the traditions and celebrations that came along with el Dia de los Muertos; however, I never really witnessed or was able to be a part of one of the ceremonies. Before this experience, I only knew about the tradition of setting altars that were used to commemorate our loved ones that passed away and the ofrendas that were offered on their behalf as a way of inviting them into this celebration that was being held in their honor. However, after attending this ceremony and celebration, I was able to get a better understanding of what the Dia de los Muertos celebration is really about. Here, I got to see several altars, all of which were unique and especially designed for the person it was commemorating. Each offrenda set on the altar, was significant to the person being commemorated. The room where the altars were set, were filled with colorful papel picado, sugar skulls, flowers, candles, and many other decorations. Seeing the room filled with all these decorations reminded me of this class because I was able to see the artistic and creative altars that were constructed in honor of the dead. Each altar was an artistic way of honoring the loved ones that passed away.