Yesterday, on Nov. 1st, businesses on San Jose’s South First Street showcased local art as part of the monthly South First Friday Art Walk. This Friday was special because it marked the beginning of Dia de los Muertos, aka Day of the Dead. At MACLA the macabre theme of the holiday lingered in the main exhibit, MAIZE Y MAS, which highlighted the evolution of corn from Americas staple crop, which fed civilizations for thousands of years, to a chemically engineered toxic monster. The Day of the Dead was celebrated in a performance by Los Lupeños, a Mexican folklore ensemble. The performers entertained the audience through dance, songs, tricks and games. Can you hold a lit candle on your head?
About a block up First Street, in gallery 2 of Anno Domini, the reigning exhibit was Suicide — a series by artist Barren Storey. As someone who has lost multiple people to suicide, Storey asks the unanswerable question: why? His exhibit was inspired by notebooks, full of drawings and notes, from letters of the deceased and comments from those who’ve lost loved ones to suicide. Matt Damignon provided an eerie soundtrack of exaggerated ambient sounds and abstract noise to accompany the exhibit.
The holiday may be unorthodox for a culture that puts up Christmas trees in shopping malls the day after Halloween, but our neighbors south of the border celebrate Dia de los Muertos with pomp and circumstance. Western cultures have a fear of death, even though fearing and stressing out over the inevitable seems to be counterproductive. Death (and taxes) are the only guarantee in life, so why not come to terms with it?
My friend Juan explained that the festival that runs from Nov. 1st to Nov. 2nd in actuality is two holidays. The first is Dia de los Santos which is marked by a memorial of children that have passed away in their adolescence. The second day is Dia de los Muerto s– where all those who have passed are remembered and honored with gifts from the living.
What’s more is that the tradition seems to be common for cultures around the world. Dia de los Muertos stems in large part from the Christian tradition of All Hallows Eve, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, but it also borrows from the Aztec holiday for the Lady of the Dead.
At San Jose’s Oakhill Cemetery, the graves were decorated with flowers as many people came to pay respect to the dead, and a group of Aztec dancers performed for the public.
Cayetano Galanti explained that at his home he set up an alter for his parents, with candles and treats. The dead and the living mingle and build an understanding. The belief is that those honored come back to earth to be reminded of the pleasures of being alive, and the dead, in turn, listen to the prayers of the living.
Penned by Alina K. A. 