How Do You Celebrate the Undead?

In our house, October means bringing out the sugar skull decor, devil masks, and musical instruments. We celebrate Dia de Los Muertos.

What is Dia de Los Muertos?

Dia de Los Muertos means “Day of the Dead,” a traditionally Mexican holiday observed throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for, remember, and celebrate the lives of friends and family members who have died. The celebrations include food, drink, dancing, and fun activities. Dia de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience. On this day, the dead are part of the community, awakened from eternal sleep to share celebrations with loved ones.

A popular symbol of Dia de los Muertos is the calacas and calaveras (skulls and skeletons). They are displayed in candy, pan dulce (sweet bread,) as masks, and dolls. Calacas and calaveras are usually portrayed wearing fancy clothes, dancing, and enjoying life.

Dia de Los Muertos is celebrated on November 1 & 2, just after Halloween.

holiday-organizing-devil-5x4 — Bone-chilling skeletons and paper mache devil masks

Experience Dia de Los Muertos this year at one of the many family-friendly celebrations going on throughout the San Francisco Bay to Monterey. Sugar skull making, food, art, music, fire dancing, and more.

East Bay

Berkeley: http://www.anotherbullwinkelshow.com/day-of-dead/

Oakland: http://museumca.org/exhibit/songs-and-sorrows

Richmond: http://richmondartcenter.org/events/skeletonfest/

San Leandro: http://www.balletfolkloricomexicano.org/dia-de-los-muertos-2014.html

holiday-organizing-candles-5x4 — Dia de Los Muertos candles

San Francisco

http://www.dayofthedeadsf.org/

http://www.somarts.org/exhibitions/day-of-the-dead/

https://deyoung.famsf.org/calendar/friday-nights-de-young-dia-de-los-muertos-presented-partnership-mexican-museum

http://www.missionculturalcenter.org/

http://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2014-2015/Dia-de-los-Muertos-Community-Concert.aspx

holiday-organizing-coasters-45 — Coasters for Dia de Los Muertos cocktails

North Bay

Petaluma: https://petalumaartscenter.org/el-dia-de-los-muertos-petaluma-2014/

San Rafael: http://www.dayofthedeadsr.org/

South Bay

San Jose: http://sjmusart.org/event/community-day-el-dia-de-los-muertos-2

5th Annual Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration

Santa Cruz: http://www.santacruzmah.org/event/dia-de-los-muertos-community-festival-2/

holiday-organizing-maracas-4x5 — Musical instruments – Skull maracas ready and waiting to be shaken

San Juan Bautista

http://www.elteatrocampesino.com/Season/muertos.html

Monterey

holiday-organizing-cat-4x5 — My cat Peaches. She’s fierce upon wakening.

Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a San Francisco Bay Area professional home organizer and member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook.

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