Dayton鈥檚 Dia de los Muertos celebration is this Sunday, October 29. The Day of the Dead is a Mexican Holiday that has its roots in Aztec rituals that honored the dead. Today, it鈥檚 celebrated in countries around the globe. Here in Dayton, there鈥檚 a parade, Mexican songs and dancing, and lots of altars designed to lead the spirits of lost loved ones back home.
It promises to be a good time for both the dead and the living.
You never know what you鈥檒l see at the Day of Dead, but a few things are certain. There will dancing skeletons and women in beautiful Mexican dresses who have their faces painted to look like detailed, decorative skulls. Every year, the Dia de los Muertos parade works its way from the Oregon District to the Missing Peace Art Space, a gallery in Saint Anne鈥檚 Hill that displays dozens of altars made by community members.
Gabriela Pickett owns the gallery. She was born in Mexico and grew up with the holiday, but when a local artist approached her about celebrating in Dayton, she wasn鈥檛 quite sure.
鈥淚 was a little skeptical at the beginning,鈥� Pickett says, 鈥渂ecause there鈥檚 not a lot of Hispanics who celebrate day of the Day of the Dead in Dayton, so who鈥檚 going to go? And 300 people showed up. So, we were quite surprised. Not a lot of them were Hispanic, which make it really beautiful. This is a Mexican tradition that brings the community together.鈥�
To celebrate the day of the dead, people make altars鈥攐r ofrendas鈥攆or loved ones who have died. Pickett made one for her father this year. It鈥檚 a small model of a Mexican home with a tile roof. It鈥檚 made of and filled with his favorite things.
鈥淢y dad was an architect,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd he made houses made out of adobe and the traditional Spanish tiles. He was a violin player, so there鈥檚 two violins and music, because he liked to play Vivaldi. He was an artist, so there鈥檚 pencils for him to draw with. This is the food he liked to eat.鈥�
M.B. Hopkins is the local artist who approached Gabriela Pickett about starting a Dayton Day of the Dead. This year, Hopkins, made an altar inside of a cigar box. There are three shiny skeletons inside. One playing a guitar. One smoking a cigarette. Those two are humans. There鈥檚 also the skeleton of a cat.
鈥淭his is an altar for my mother and father, who have both passed away. My dad was a guitar player, so he鈥檚 depicted here as a skeleton holding a guitar. My mother was a chain smoker, and it鈥檚 not the best habit, and maybe it lent to her demise,鈥� Hopkins says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 also a little cat that was hers that鈥檚 also passed away.鈥�
The top of box has her parents鈥� names on it. They went by Patti and Hop.
鈥淭hey were married for dozens and dozen of years,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n fact, my father died before my mother, and when my mother was in hospice, one of the last things she said was 鈥楬op, Hop!鈥� As if she could see him. Then she stopped breathing and died.鈥�
And there鈥檚 not just art for the dead. Sometimes, there鈥檚 art made with the dead. Literally. Local artist Tiffany Clark is best known for the murals she鈥檚 painted on buildings across the Miami Valley. When the man she described as her 鈥渟oulmate鈥� passed away, she ended up using his cremains in a painting that was displayed for the Day of the Dead.
鈥淗e had always wanted his ashes made into art work, so he could last forever,鈥� Clark explains. 鈥淚t took me a while to figure out what kind of artwork or to actually make myself do it. I made him into a beautiful oil painting that was a Rhino from an unusual perspective with teals and different circles that resembled similar art work that he had made. And it was just this sense of not closure, but continuation. I could share him forever with people. Because honestly, I was not okay until I figure out a way to connect with him in a positive way, and this is my positive way.鈥�
And the Day of the Dead is meant to be a celebration of life and an opportunity to honor our ancestors. One of the original ideas of the holiday is that if a dead person came back, they would be offended to see us mourning. They鈥檇 much prefer a party, and a Mariachi band wouldn鈥檛 hurt.
This year鈥檚 Day of the Dead festivities start off with food carts and face painting at the Old Yellow Cab building at 2PM on October 29. That will be followed by a parade to the Missing Piece Art Space, where guests can watch performances and view ofrendas.
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