ASU Museum Celebrates Dia de los Muertos Nov. 2
JONESBORO, AR – The Arkansas State University Museum will hold its annual celebration of “Día de los Muertos,” the Hispanic Day of the Dead, on Friday, Nov. 2, from 5–7 p.m. in the museum atrium and main gallery. The ASU Museum is located at 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.
An ancient tradition originating with the Aztec and Maya, “Día de los Muertos” 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 in all countries that celebrate “Día de los Muertos,” and variations in dances and food favorites make each culture’s celebration unique.
The ASU Museum will celebrate this special holiday with traditional decorations and refreshments, hands-on children’s crafts and games and live music. Strolling troubadour Ricardo Puello will perform Mexican and Latin American favorites on the guitar. Refreshments will be traditional “Dia de los Muertos” fare, including pan de muerto (bread of the dead), horchata (a delicious rice milk beverage), mango punch, and hibiscus tea, as well as bite-sized tamales from Hispanic Community Services, Inc. of Jonesboro (http://www.jhcsi.org/).
Members of the Hispanic community will build an altar in the museum to commemorate deceased ancestors with traditional flowers, candles and treats. Visitors in costume will receive 10 percent off purchases in the ASU Museum Gift Shop.
A highlight of the festivities will be trick-or-treating through the Museum's Old Town Arkansas—offering a combination of traditions associated with the Mexican Day of the Dead and American Halloween customs.
Hands-on activities for children will include making paper flowers, decorating paper Mexican masks, dressing small skeletons for a party, and playing a fun (not scary) skeleton game.
Join the ASU Museum staff and visitors from varied backgrounds for an evening of fun and festivities. Experience “Día de los Muertos”—one of the oldest, most intriguing, and richly diverse customs celebrated by many Spanish-speaking people who now call Northeast Arkansas home. “Día de los Muertos” is one of three free public programs in the ASU Museum’s Cultural Diversity Series.
For more information, contact Jill Kary, Education Curator at (870) 972-2074.
