Once rooted in ancient Mexico, Día de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead—has become one of America’s most vibrant and recognizable cultural celebrations.
“Even companies like Stanley and Vans have launched Día de los Muertos lines of shoes, clothing, and cups,” said University of Colorado Denver Education Professor Carlos P. Hipolito-Delgado. “I recently saw the San Diego Zoo doing a Día de los Muertos celebration and there are dozens of events right here in Colorado.”
The Auraria Campus, home to CU Denver, will host its own Día de los Muertos event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at St. Cajetan’s, a few days ahead of the official date of Nov. 1. The free, public celebration will include altars, music, and traditional food.
Honoring the Dead—and Living Culture
The holiday began thousands of years ago as a way to honor deceased family members, friends, and cultural figures. In its ancient beginnings, the celebrations invited the dead to walk among the living for a day. Small altars are set up with ofrendas, (offerings) and include pictures, and the favorite food of the deceased to entice spirits to return. Over time, the celebration merged with the Catholic observance of All Souls’ Day, giving Indigenous traditions an opportunity to continue under a shared calendar, Hipolito-Delgado said.
Common offerings include Pan de Muerto (a Mexican sweet bread), calavera cookies (skull sugar cookies), and cempasúchil (marigold flower). Many visit the gravesites of family or friends, and communities celebrate with parades and vibrant performers dressed in colorful outfits and painted calaveras.
“While the holiday has spread through the U.S. and in other Latino cultures, the celebration is really rooted in Mexican communities,” Hipolito-Delgado said. “So, places like Colorado, Texas, and California that have large Mexican and Mexican American communities have done a great deal to popularize the celebration.”
A Scholar’s Personal Connection
Hipolito-Delgado, who has degrees from University of California Los Angeles and University of Maryland College Park, researches ethnic identity development among Chicana/o/x and Latina/o/x youth. His connection to Día de los Muertos also runs deep.
“In my undergraduate days, my friends and I would go to a local Chicano art gallery for Día de los Muertos,” Hipolito-Delgado said. “There, local bands would play, people would paint their faces, local artists would have exhibitions. As much as it was a celebration of the dead, it also seemed a celebration of Chicana culture.”
When his children were young, Hipolito-Delgado set up family altars in his home, attended community celebrations, and joined in the skeleton face painting. A close family friend still paints elaborate ones, he said. Today, he celebrates his ancestors by eating a special meal, listening to his abuelo’s (grandfather’s) favorite rancheras and, if he’s feeling particularly ambitious, he’ll even play a few of his abuelo’s favorite songs on the guitar.
Other Events
November 1-2: Día de los Muertos, Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, Colorado Springs
November 1: Día de los Muertos (oldest celebration by Servicios de La Raza) Chaffee Park, Denver
November 2: Órale Mundo: Día de los Muertos Celebración, Boulder (paid event)
November 7: First Friday: Día de los Muertos, Museo de las America, Denver
Source: University of Colorado/Denver, Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala
