Community Heritage Dia de los Muertos Altar

By way of the Brownsville Historical Association:

Brownsville- The Brownsville Historical Association invites individuals from the community to participate in creating the Brownsville Heritage Community Altar Installation for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The public is invited to bring an object, clothing, toys, mementos, or photographs of dearly departed loved ones to place on the altar to the Brownsville Heritage Museum from October 17-November 1.

The altar installation will stay on exhibit at the Brownsville Heritage Museum through November 5, 2005. Objects and photographs will be available for pick-up by owners after this date.

Dia de los Muertos traces its roots to Pre-Conquest Mexico. When the Spaniards arrived in the New World, they encountered the Aztecs and other indigenous people of Mexico practicing a seemingly incomprehensible ritual that honored the dearly departed. More than 500 years later, the ritual lives on and is now known as Dia de los Muertos.

Considered one of Mexico's most important festivals, the occasion is often celebrated with feasting, building elaborate home altars, cleaning and decorating graves, dancing and music. Recently, the practice of celebration Day of the Dead in the United States has grown tremendously since its introduction during the Chicano Movement of the early 1970s. Today, the tradition of Dia de los Muertos extends into parts of the Southwest.

For the Brownsville Heritage Museum, this occasion is an opportunity to honor individuals from our community that have passed on. The altar is a tribute to Brownsville's past and to those individuals who in their own way contributed to building this vibrant community.

The Brownsville Heritage Museum is also offering a free Dia de los Muertos activity packet for teachers and community members that are interested in sharing information about the holiday. The activity packet is available at the Brownsville Heritage Museum by request and includes a word search game, mix and match puzzle, 4 coloring pages, and a papel picado lesson plan, and more.

The mission of the Brownsville Historical Association is to preserve and promote all things relating to the rich history of Brownsville, Texas, and its environs.

The Brownsville Heritage Complex, located at 1325 E. Washington St. in downtown Brownsville, includes the Stillman House Museum, the Brownsville Heritage Museum and the Heritage Resource Center. Museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm.

For more information on Brownsville Heritage Complex exhibitions and programs, please call 956-541-5560 or email info@brownsvillehistory.org.