A strong presence of the dead will be among the living soon.
The altars at the South Broadway Cultural Center will welcome these spirits in celebration of D°a de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. On Saturday, a reception will feature local artists' work, altars, storytelling and other entertainment including a guitarist, a harpist and a documentary.
John Peterson, curator of the South Broadway Cultural Center, said the event is an ancient tradition.
"To my understanding it goes back to the Aztecs and even beyond that," he said.
Peterson also said the event honors the dead so that a positive outlook is placed on death. "Instead of being afraid of death, the tradition embraces death as a part of life."
Peterson chose this year's theme, called the "Healing Spirit," because of the United States' involvement in war earlier this year.
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Each year, Peterson extends an invitation to artists to participate in the event.
"I wanted people to be open to the effect of the war on both sides," he said. "It isn't about being right or wrong or this side and that side. We all come from the same place."
The group school altar describes the essentials to place on your altar to remember your loved one. Copal, an herb often burned during rituals, is said to draw the dead to the altars.
Marigolds are seasonal flowers also used to draw the dead by their fragrance. Petals are traditionally sprinkled from the grave of the deceased to the altar so that the spirit finds its way. The Aztecs considered the marigold the flower of 400 lives.
Four velas (candles) are placed on the edges of the altar to signify the four cardinal directions. More candles are placed on the altar for each loved one being honored, plus an extra one so no one is missed.
Sugar skulls are among the more visible items passed around during D°a de los Muertos. They are traditional folk art from central and southern Mexico used to celebrate D°a de los Muertos. Friends and family give them as gifts with a death motif and the skulls are more prized if one's own name appears on it.
According to Peterson, the documentary that will be shown at the reception portrays a Mexican village celebrating D°a de los Muertos.
The preferred way of honoring the dead is decorating a cemetery. Favorite foods of loved ones or ofrendas (offers) are brought to their graves along with flowers and pan de muerto (bread of the dead). An all-day celebration takes place at the cemetery.
The South Broadway Cultural Center will feature eight altars, one of which will honor victims of Sept. 11, 2001. Anyone who wants to contribute to the community altar is welcome to, Peterson said.
He said the most enjoyable part of putting up this exhibit is the collaboration of the community in this project.
"It isn't something you buy at the store. It's something that comes from your sense of humor and your heart. It's really about getting over yourself."
