Día(s) de los Muertos
The Dia de los Muertos week long celebration consisted of different public programs hosted by the UIC Rafael Cintrón Ortiz Latino Cultural Center. Student organizations co-sponsored the multiple programs and included the Union for Puerto Rican Students, the Heritage Garden, and Mexican Students de Aztlán. The celebration began on Monday, October 29, 2018 with a “Communal Altar Installation”: setting up pictures, food decor, candles, and more. This altar resulted in a beautiful and colorful ofrenda for all UIC community to participate in and bring their own items or pictures of loved ones. The “Calaveras, Cempazúchitl, & Monarch Butterflies” workshop had a large turnout of students that painted sugar skulls, made paper marigold flowers, and created skull-shaped seed bombs to help preserve monarch butterflies. During the last day we were delighted by performances from Laura Crotte, a traditional folk-song singer, Vincent Velazquez and Victoria Caucaus, visiting us from Mexico. The performances explored life and death in a trova, huapango and spoken word style, bringing together the acts of remembrance, humor and love to celebrate and contextualize el Día de los Muertos. Audience members were encouraged to share a story about their own loved ones, ways of celebrating with their families, and to add pictures of loved ones to the altar. There was pan de muerto and hot chocolate to enjoy.
To learn more about Laura Crotte follow this link.
To learn more about monarch butterflies follow this link.