ASU Museum celebrates Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Nov. 5

October 26, 2010 -- The ASU Museum will hold its fourth annual celebration of Día de los Muertos on Friday, Nov. 5, from 5-7 p.m., 320 University Loop West Circle, Jonesboro. Día de los Muertos is free and open to the public and the university community, including faculty, staff, and students.

This family event includes hands-on children’s crafts, refreshments, and surprises. An ancient tradition originating with the Aztec and Maya, Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, melded with Christianity in Mexico and led to a rich cultural celebration now practiced in many countries. Food, beverages, flowers, and a time to remember the dead are common to the celebration of Día de los Muertos in all countries, and variations in dance and food favorites make each culture’s celebration unique. A highlight of the festivities will be trick-or-treating through the museum's Old Town Arkansas--a walk-through exhibit of a turn-of-the-last-century town-- offering a combination of the traditions associated with the Mexican Day of the Dead and American Halloween customs.

2010 marks the fourth time that ASU Museum has collaborated with the staff at the Hispanic Community Services, Inc., of Jonesboro (online at http://www.jhcsi.org/), to celebrate this festive occasion.  Each year, the children of HCSI decorate an altar honoring deceased ancestors with traditional flowers, candles, and treats. Día de los Muertos is one of three free public programs in the ASU Museum’s Cultural Diversity Series. 

For more information, contact Dr. Lenore Shoults (lshoults@astate.edu), visit the ASU Museum online (http://www2.astate.edu/museum/), or call (870) 972-2074.

Photo: Cavorting skeletons are an integral part of Day of the Dead imagery. This fellow enjoys a treat in the old-fashioned pharmacy in the Old Town exhibit at the ASU Museum.
Photo courtesy of the ASU Museum.

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