Celebrate Dia de los Muertos at UK

The University of Kentucky community is invited to honor lost loved ones and celebrate life at a physically distant Dia de los Muertos event Monday, Nov. 2, on campus.

“The beauty of Día de los Muertos is in truly celebrating each other, present or past,” said Ruth González Jiménez, with the UK Martin Luther King Center. “November is also Native American and Alaskan Native Heritage Month, so we celebrate Día de Los Muertos — a holiday born out of syncretism between Indigenous, African and European spiritual/religious traditions — as they meshed with the Christian-observed All Souls and All Saints day.”

González Jiménez says the holiday is not “Mexican Halloween,” as some may think.

“Día de Los Muertos is celebrated all over the world,” she said. “Some traditions include visiting and decorating the tombstones of loved ones, or engaging in prayer and remembrance, typically before an altar created within the family home. A typical altar will include pictures, flowers, sweets and beverages (often the favorites of your loved one or ancestors), lights and anything that celebrates and honors their lives.”