Día de los Muertos — also known as Day of the Dead — is a two-day holiday widely observed in Mexico reuniting the living and dead where families create ofrendas (offerings) to honor their departed family members who have died. A special celebration of Día de los Muertos will return to Madison East High School on Saturday, Nov. 2 to raise money for two great local organizations.
“Día de los Muertos is really an important day to remember our past loved ones. For me, it’s really that we just remember them and remember their life,” Silvia Gomez, a Spanish bi-cultural bilingual resource specialist at East High School and an advisor for Raza United, tells Madison365. “It’s a day that we can enjoy their spiritual presence with us and just remember them through song, through dance, through music, through food. A lot of times our families celebrate Dia de los Muertos at home and they have their own little altar at home, and they put their favorite food, their favorite drink, or pictures up there and it is just a time to remember them during different times.”
Día de los Muertos altars are often decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of the departed, and the favorite foods and drinks of those being honored.
“It’s a way that our past loved ones can find their way here during this time frame and then find their way back,” Gomez says.
Gomez, who has been helping to organize the annual Día de los Muertos at East High since it first started in 2015 along with María Díaz, founder of the Madison-based Ballet Folklorico de Maria Diaz, has been busy planning the event over the last couple of months. She says Saturday’s event will be the 8th annual event.
“This is a day that is important for many people in America to reconnect to that family tradition in Mexico,” says Gomez.
East High School’s Raza United and Ballet Folklorico de Maria Diaz will once again be the hosts for Saturday’s event. There will be performances by Mariachi Corcel de Madison, Ballet Folklórico de María Díaz, Carlos Soriano Leal and Saraelena Aguayo
“In between performances, from 2:30-4:30 p.m., we will have the food sale and craft sale. We’re going to have a silent auction and, as always, have face painters and some kid games that will keep the young ones busy,” Gomez says.
“All of the families have donated their time to make food like tamales, mole, and other things. And that will be sold between 2:30-4:30 p.m.,” she adds.
Saturday’s Día de los Muertos celebration at East High is the biggest fundraiser for both Raza United and Ballet Folklorico de Maria Diaz.
“The money that we raise will be split between both groups. For Raza United, that money is going to go mainly towards field trips, for things for graduation, for just any things a student may need like a bus pass or something like that. Money will go towards whatever is needed for the club,” Gomez says.
“For Ballet Folklorico, the money is always used for offsetting the cost of outfits. There are dress outfits and accessories that are needed as the dancers get older, they they grow out of. Each outfit usually is between $150 to $300 and you can just imagine how many outfits for a dance that they do every year. They get a minimum of five new outfits every year. So it is quite a bit of money for each of the families. This money helps Maria [Diaz] buy the dresses and borrow them so it’s not too much for them.”
The fundraiser costs $10 per adult and $7 for students (k-12). Children under five are free. The event starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a fun event and tickets can be bought online or they can be bought at the door,” Gomez says. “If you want to come dressed as a ‘Catrin’ or a ‘Catrina,’ please do. Bring the family, because it’s going to be a great time.”
Día de los Muertos will take place at Madison East High School, 2222 E. Washington Ave., on Saturday, Nov. 2. You can buy tickets to Dia De Los Muertos here.
