October 22, 2008
Purdue's Latino Cultural Center to celebrate Día de los Muertos
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - |
Every year on Nov. 1 and 2, families in Mexico recognize Día de los Muertos, a celebration with a long history rooted in the indigenous cultures of Mexico. Today, it is a mixture of indigenous ritual, Catholicism and pop culture, and an illustration of the flexibility of culture and the importance of holding on to one's history and roots.
This is the first time the event will be held at Ivy Tech to accommodate more people, said Gilberto Corral, program director with the Latino Cultural Center. The sixth annual event is free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by Ivy Tech and Purdue University Galleries.
The event provides an educational component of the holiday as well as altar presentations. Students, along with community organizations, will display altars, or "ofrendas," to honor the memory of those who touched their lives. The event will feature craft stations where families can decorate Día de los Muertos skulls and other holiday art. Traditional Mexican music and food will be offered. Altar assembly will take place from 2-4:30 p.m. Oct. 31 in the Ivy Hall Atrium area at Ivy Tech.
For more about Día de los Muertos, people can contact the Latino Cultural Center at (765) 494-2530 or go to https://www.purdue.edu/lcc.
The Latino Cultural Center is Purdue's first center for Hispanic and Latino cultures. The center strives to provide a venue where people of similar cultures, values, customs and language can unite to share ideas and events with the university and the community.
Writer: Clyde Hughes, (765) 494-2073, jchughes@purdue.edu
Source: Gilberto Corral, (765) 494-2530, gcorral@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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