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For the 14th year, Penn Museum and the Mexican Cultural Center teamed up and hosted a daylong Día de los Muertos celebration.
Nearly a thousand people passed through the museum Saturday, stopping to look at elaborate community “ofrendas,” or altars, that honor loved ones who have passed away. There was also an enormous centerpiece memorializing those who have died from breast cancer.
For many Mexicans, Día de los Muertos is a blend of somber and joyful rituals to remember family members and friends who have died. Many people build altars in their homes that feature food, clothing or other objects that their loved ones enjoyed while alive.
Araceli Guenther, president of the board of the Mexican Cultural Center, said Día de los Muertos is “one of the most symbolic traditions within the Mexican culture.” The rituals trace back to those practiced by the Aztecs thousands of years ago.
“The meaning of the Day of the Dead is actually a celebration of the dead,” Guenther said. “Of the people that have gone before us and the way that we remember them.”
On Saturday, dancers, artists, a marketplace featuring small business owners and a clown showcased Mexican culture for attendees of all ages. Museum guests were offered hot chocolate and “pan de muerto,” a sweet bread made in Mexico this time of year.
Zuhail Corro created one of the community altars with her friend, Stephanie Placido.
Their altar was dedicated to children who have died, with rows of dolls representing each child remembered by the artists and their friends. The dolls were arranged among toys, books and candy that are favorites of children in Mexico.
Corro pointed toward a trail of marigold petals stretching in front of the altar, with candles placed throughout.
“Las florecitas, es para formar el puente entre el mundo de los muertos y el mundo de los vivos”, dijo Corro, añadiendo que las velas son para guiarlos en el camino.
“The flowers are there to form the bridge between the world of the dead and the world of the living,” Corro said, adding that the candles are to guide the dead on their way.