Día de los Muertos - “Day of the Death”

An installation of an "Altar" will be put up, as part of the Mexican holiday's tradition, and will be on display in the Mexico Building between 1-7/11/21.

You are all invited to the grand opening on Monday, November 1st. 2021 at 4:00 PM in the Mexico Building, at the Faculty of Arts, in the presence of the Mexican Ambassador in Israel and the Dean of the Arts Faculty, Prof. Architect Eran Neumann.

Día de los Muertos ("Day of the Dead") is a Mexican holiday, celebrated in Mexico on the first and second day of November, during which Mexicans gather to remember close friends and relatives who have passed away.

According to scholars, the holiday has its origins in ancient indigenous traditions, and recently has spread around the world, as part of other religious celebrations and cultural customs that honor the dead.

During the holiday the families visit cemeteries to honor and remember the deceased. In Mexican homes, rather than a symbol of mourning, setting up an “Altar" or "Ofrenda" is also traditional way to celebrate and to cherish the memory of the departed.

The altars are decorated with the deceased's favorite foods and drinks, as well as pictures and memorabilia, and the purpose is to celebrate their lives and those things for which they are remembered for.

As part of the tradition, toys for children and bottles of tequila, mezkel and pulque (a typical drink in rural Mexico), for adults, as well as foods or snacks that were loved by the deceased are brought to the grave. The Mexicans also eat Pan de Muerto (a type of sweet roll), as part of the celebration, as well as the relative's favorite dishes.

In 2008, UNESCO recognized the importance of Día de los Muertos by adding the holiday to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.