Dia de los Muertos
Last Friday, Oct. 30, Risley’s Great Hall was overtaken by a hoard of skeletons. But there’s no reason to fear the apocalypse – it was only Dia de los Muertos. In collaboration with MEChA de Cornell, and featuring performances by Ballet Folklórico de Cornell, Risley Dining brought back the age-old tradition of Day of the Dead, complete with traditional food, music and face painting.
The Day of the Dead is chiefly a Mexican holiday, with roots dating back to Aztec custom. It is typically celebrated Nov. 1, coinciding with the Catholic holiday of All Saints’ Day. Similar to other holidays at this time of the year, like Samhain and Halloween, it is believed that on this day it is easier for dead souls to visit the land of the living. Families gather to pray and remember those who have passed on in the previous year and to honor their deceased relatives. Often families will build alters in hopes that the souls of their loved ones will visit.
Risley focused on the Mexican tradition, complete with customary comidas (foods) and pasteles (desserts) and decorated the dining hall with sugar skulls. But this kind of tradition is actually celebrated much more widely than was once thought – in many Latin American countries, and even as far away as the Czech Republic and the Philippines.
– Jennifer Wholey