RALEIGH, N.C. – Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2. The roots of the holiday go back more than 3,000 years in Mexico. For the first time ever, Raleigh’s Nov. 2 Día de Muertos event in the historic Oakwood Cemetery is expanding.
There was a lot of collaboration to create the Día de Oakwood event this year.
For the last decade, there’s been a Day of the Dead 5K Race, raising money for the Boys and Girls Club. The organizer of that race wanted to add more of an educational and cultural element to it all, and that’s how artist Peter Marin got involved.
Last week, tents at Raleigh’s Oakwood Cemetery were transformed into ofrendas, altars decorated to honor people who have passed away. Ofrendas are key components to Día de Muertos.
“We are hanging a ceiling made out of handmade flowers that I've made with over 100 volunteers,” Marin said. “It's not so much a celebration as it is a remembrance or an offering. And in Mexico, what we do on this time is that we remember our dead, and we honor our dead and we keep their memory alive.”
Marin, who was born and raised in Mexico, now lives in Raleigh. He’s been coordinating the Día de Oakwood event.
“What a great opportunity to make bridges, to share experiences,” Marin said.“What a great opportunity to make bridges, to share experiences,” Marin said.
Marin says as part of an annual Day of the Dead 5K Race, there’s been a community ofrenda here in the past. It’s a place where anyone can leave photos of loved ones and handwritten notes.
This is the first time there will be several ofrendas set up by different organizations, complete with elements of earth, wind, water and fire.
“One of the things that as Mexicans, we acknowledge, that life is part of death. And death is part of life,” Marin said.
Marin says, at first, he wasn’t sure how this event would be received.
“Now in Mexico, it's common for it to take place at the cemetery and it's even common to have our ofrendas in the church. But that's not the case here,” Marin said.
But he says the cemetery staff have been extremely welcoming, and he’s very grateful for the chance to share such an important tradition with others.
“To be able to create one with the community. So it is brought into who we are here in Raleigh is incredible,” Marin said. “My hopes are that this is the first of many, that it does become Raleigh's annual tradition as well. And that we can gather at this lawn on a yearly basis to remember and celebrate those that we love.”
The ofrendas have been on display for people at Oakwood Cemetery since Friday, October 27. On November 2, there are family friendly activities scheduled starting at 4 p.m. including music, dance performances, food and free face painting.
