Day of the Dead Ofrendas (Altars) Cleveland Public Theatre 6205 Detroit Ave. November 4, 2023
The Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) celebration was put on by Dia de Muertos Ohio and Cleveland Public Theatre.
The Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos or Día de los Muertos) is a holiday largely developed in Mexico, where it is mostly observed, but also in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere. It normally takes place on All Saints Day and All Souls Day (November 1 and 2).
Traditions connected with the holiday include honoring the deceased using calaveras and marigold flowers known as cempazúchitl, building home altars called ofrendas with the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these items as gifts for the deceased. The celebration is not solely focused on the dead, as it is also common to give gifts to friends such as candy sugar skulls, to share traditional pan de muerto with family and friends, and to write light-hearted and often irreverent verses in the form of mock epitaphs dedicated to living friends and acquaintances, a literary form known as calaveras literarias.
Some of the tributes are more serious and showcase family history such as this display featuring memories of Angel Galvan's family.
Angel Galvan's family display
Angel Galvan showing a picture of his mother
Patty Esparza and the Comite Mexicano de Cleveland also had a display inside.
Watch a short video of some of the inside altars and n explanation of the display from Comite Mexicano de Cleveland by Patty Esparza.
Most of the tributes are outside in a cemetery of ofrendas (altars) on the Cleveland Public Theatre grounds.
People waked through the "cemetery" to view the altars.
There were also some resource tables and vendors.
Rey Esparza of Comite Mexicano de Cleveland
Watch a video tour of the outside ofrendas.
Enjoy these images from the 2023 Cleveland Day of the Dead Cemetery of Altars.
2023 Cleveland Day of the Dead Cemetery of Altars
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