Mexican Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos)

Mexican Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos)
Presented by Irma Bohórquez-Geisler &
The New York State Institute on Disability
Sunday, October 30, 2011 from 10am-5pm
Hosted by Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden
Visitor Center, Bldg C - 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301 (718) 448-2500
A joyful Mexican tradition, the Day of the Dead is a special occasion for Mexican families and community to
honor and remember our deceased loved ones. Our day-long festivity begins early in the morning with the
construction of two ofrendas (altars). You are welcome to bring photos of deceased loved ones, objects that
remind you of them, or their favorite drink or food. This year our ofrenda will display the regional traditions of
the Mexican state, Tlaxcala. Tamara Geisler, Silvia Gutierrez and Irma will teach how to make skeleton
puppets, papel picado (colorful paper decoration), marigold flowers and sugar skulls (10am). A Mariachi band
will play traditional music. Music by Radio Jarocho (a blend of Indian, African, and Spanish sounds that
originated on the Gulf Coast of Mexico, southern Veracruz and northern Oaxaca). Dances by Los Chinelos del
Caudillo del Sur, the dance group Carnaval de Tlaxcala, Ballet Guadalupano and Ballet Folklorico Tonatiuh.
Image: José Guadalupe Posada, Gran Fandango y Francachela de Todas las Calaveras (ca. 1910). Type metal engraving. Courtesy: Museo José Guadalupe Posada.
El Dia de los Muertos is made possible by The New State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York Sate Legislature, and in
part by a 2011 Encore Award by the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, with public funding from the New York State Council on the Arts. Funded in
part by Con Edison. Thanks to Community Healthaction of Staten Island for acting as a conduit.
FREE and Open to the Public
For more information on this event, please contact:
Irma Bohórquez-Geisler at [email protected], or (718)-448-8348
Fully accessible to persons using wheelchairs