Day of the Dead celebration in New York

Day of the Dead celebration in New York

The Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead continues to break borders, to such an extent that this week traditional Mexican offerings were placed in the mythical Rockefeller Center in New York and in the White House in the United States.

In New York, for the second consecutive year, Mexico Week: Day of the Dead takes place at Rockefeller Center from October 27 to November 2.

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican tradition celebrated on November 1 and 2 in which the memory of the dead is honored. It originated as a syncretism between Catholic celebrations (especially All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day) as well as the various customs of the indigenous people of Mexico. It is commonly associated with other celebrations such as Halloween or Halloween, although in reality it differs a lot from this one.

It is a holiday that is celebrated mainly in Mexico and in Latin American countries such as Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala and to a lesser degree in Central American countries and in the Andean region in South America, from northwestern Argentina to the United States. in areas where there is a large indigenous population. In 2008, UNESCO declared the festival as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Mexico. Currently it is also celebrated in areas further south, such as in Buenos Aires, by migrants from the central Andean area, mainly from western Bolivia, northwestern Argentina (NOA), southeastern Peru, and in Venezuela it is celebrated by the people kariña which is called “Akaatompo” or faithful departed, the cry is also celebrated, everything is about celebrating their dead, it should be noted that the day of the dead in Venezuela comes from the natives and is a very old custom that has changed upon the arrival of the Spanish. In Spain, the Day of the Dead is celebrated by Mexican immigrants integrated into Spanish society.

When the Spanish arrived in America in the 16th century, they brought their own traditional celebrations to commemorate the dead, where the dead were remembered on All Saints’ Day. By converting the natives of the New World, a syncretism was created that mixed European and pre-Hispanic traditions, making the Catholic festivities of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day coincide with the similar Mesoamerican festival, creating the current Day of the Dead. .

Other elements would influence the evolution of the current customs of the Day of the Dead; for example, in the center of the country, the epidemics that plagued Mexico City for centuries led to the creation of cemeteries outside the city, and it was around 1861 that the government began to take charge of burials. Likewise, around 1859, the custom of decorating tombs with flowers and candles was consolidated, visiting the pantheons on November 1 and 2: the upper class in the morning and the poor in the afternoon. Upper-class people took advantage of these days to be able to wear their black clothes for the first time, which they prepared beforehand to be able to wear them in the cemeteries.

New Yorkers can participate for free in Mexican art, food, culture, music and education organized by the Consulate General of Mexico in New York City, the Mexican Cultural Institute, the Museum of Modern Art and the Rockefeller Center.

This Day of the Dead celebration incorporates traditional and modern art by prominent Mexican artists that will be on display for the public to enjoy.

The celebration will include

• An Ofrenda (an altar honoring lost loved ones) at Center Plaza: The Ofrenda will honor modern Mexican sculptors as presented in the book MONUMENTAL: The Public Dimension of Sculpture 1927-1979 by Pedro Reyes.
• Large sculptures of Jaguar and Quetzalcóatl by César Menchaca to accompany the Center Plaza offering.
• The catrina sculptures (skeleton figures synonymous with the Day of the Dead): by Cesar Menchaca will be on view for all Top of the Rock ticket holders.
• An exhibition will be exhibited in memory of the 170th Anniversary of the Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913). Presented by the Consulate General of Mexico in New York and its Cultural Institute in alliance with the Posada Art Foundation, this exhibition will be on view from October 19 to November 2 at 10 Rockefeller Plaza.
• Public exhibition of the book MONUMENTAL: The public dimension of sculpture 1927-1979, by Pedro Reyes. The exhibition will present the 383-page visual and critical history of modern sculpture in Mexico with 29 essays and 13 interviews. Organized by the Museum of Modern Art of Mexico City.

In addition to art, New Yorkers can visit a Tianguis, or open-air market, which offers authentic Mexican food, handmade artisan goods, textiles, and Casa Dragones Tequila.

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