Honoring Ancestors, Celebrating Life

Casa Círculo Cultural and the San Mateo County History Museum and in collaboration with the Redwood City Parks & Arts Foundation, are proud to bring to Redwood City a Día de los Muertos Celebration.

The Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico on November 1st and 2nd. These days, Mexican families go to the cemetery, visit the graves of their relatives, clean and maybe paint the grave, put flowers (marigolds or wonders), and light candles.

While Mexican American communities have celebrated the Day of the Dead for hundreds of years in the United States with personal, often religious, ceremonies, there has been an evolution in how the holiday is celebrated today.

The holiday as we see it today that has transformed into a true blend of cultures and voices to create a holiday that is as unique and powerful as the Chicanx community itself.

While many Mexican American families still celebrate the holiday with personal and sometimes religious traditions, a public celebration hosted by Casa Circulo Cultural has become Redwood City’s celebration of diversity and culture.

2024:
Embracing the Cycle of Life and Death

Every year, we meticulously choose a theme or a region of Latin America deeply rooted in the ancient tradition of the Day of the Dead. 

This year’s theme draws from Rivera’s depiction of death in Mexican history, symbolized most prominently by La Catrina. Originally an etching by José Guadalupe Posada, La Catrina represents the idea that death is a universal equalizer, regardless of social status. In Rivera’s mural, she stands elegantly dressed, reflecting the Día de los Muertos tradition, where death is honored as an integral part of life’s cycle. The event will explore this interplay between life and death, deeply embedded in the Mexican cultural and social fabric.