Phinney Neighborhood Association

Friday, November 4, 2011, 6:30 pm

Celebration and Remembrance - El Dia de los Muertos at the PNA.

Ways You Can Participate
1. Attend the Dia de los Muertos Festival on November 4 from 6:30-9 pm
2. Dress in costume for the event - makeup, masks and costumes are encouraged!
3. Bring a photograph or remembrance of your relatives for our community altar - altar will be at the PNA, starting November 1
4. Purchase a ticket for the PCPE Raffle, call the PNA at 206.783.2244 for more details!

Schedule of Events
6:30 Event begins
6:35 Altar dedication
6:45 Performance by PCPE students
7:00 Spanish language Brain Dance with Polly-Glots
7:00 Marco Cortes bilingual storytelling
8:00 Bailadores de Bronce Mexican Folkloric Dancers
8:40 Ameyaltonal Aztec Dancers

Event Information
Honoring and celebrating those who have passed is a world wide tradition. El Dia de los Muertos is a festival that is 3000 years old, dating to the Aztecs, Mayans and other indigenous peoples of Mexico, Central America and South America.

The joy, beliefs and traditions that create this festival are world wide. Community festivals honoring, celebrating and welcoming those who have passed from the earth occur in China, Nepal, Japan and the Philippines. The arc of Eastern Europe, from Finland to Austria, celebrates the memories and gifts of those who have passed, encouraging reuniting through celebration.

At the PNA, we celebrate those who have loved us and cared for us. We invite them to return though our celebration. Join the traditional Mexican celebration of life and death at the PNA's Free Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival on Friday, November 4, 2011.

In Mexico, El Dia de los Muertos is a festive and family-centered event, traditionally held on Nov. 1st (Day of the Little Angels) and 2nd (Day of the Dead or all Soul's Day in Christian tradition).

Dia de los Muertos celebrations emphasize life and death as part of the same cycle and regard death on friendly and intimate terms. According to beliefs rooted in pre-Columbian traditions, on Dia de los Muertos, the veil between life and death is at its thinnest and the dead can be lured back to us through the scent of marigolds and the temptation of offerings of favorite food and drink. In certain parts of Mexico, an important facet of this celebration is the ofrenda, or personal altar, built both in family homes and over the graves of loved ones. Traditionally, photographs of the dead at are the altar center, around which are placed offerings of food, drink, candles, flowers, sugar skulls, and personal mementoes. All these items are presented in beautiful displays to honor the returning souls.

"Final Bleeding Heart" by Oleana Perry

Our annual celebration will begin with a remembrance at the community altar. Please bring photographs and remembrances of your relatives and loved ones for the altar. Dancing, music, story telling, and facepainting will enliven your evening. Art by local artists and students related to Dia de los Muertos will be shown in the Phinney Center Gallery. There will be many activities designed to include children. We will have face painting, free art projects, sugar skull decoration, Spanish language activities, a Raffle benefitting PCPE (Phinney Cooperativa Preescolar en Espanol) and hot chocolate for the enjoyment of all.

Special thanks to the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and Chupacabra, whose grants have enabled the continuation of this important traditional celebration.

Volunteer for this Event
We are seeking volunteers for the planning committee for our Dia de los Muertos Festival! We seek volunteers to help plan the art show in the gallery, food, music and activities. If you would like to help us plan this exciting event, please contact Pamela Jaynes at arts@phinneycenter.org.

© Copyright 2012 Phinney Neighborhood Association - All Rights Reserved
Phinney Neighborhood Association, 6532 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103 - 206.783.2244
Community Begins Here: www.phinneycenter.org