TOLEDO, Ohio — Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos and get in touch with your creative side this fall with the Toledo Museum of Art!
On Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday Oct. 27, museum-goers will have the opportunity to decorate their very own sugar skulls.
“The sugar skull, or calavera, is used to decorate the altars families create on the Day of the Dead to celebrate a loved one,” MA Executive Chef Joe Felix said. “Often, the altars will have favorite things and photos remembering very close family members and friends. The colorful sugar skulls with fun designs contribute to the celebratory nature of the holiday.”
Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead is mostly celebrated in Mexico and Central and South America. The holiday is meant to both welcome the spirits of late family members and honor the duality of life and death.
The holiday lasts from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. It is believed that during this time, a passageway opens, connecting the world of the living to the world of the dead. The passageway allows loved ones who have passed to return, visiting friends and family. It's a vibrant celebration aimed at bringing love and respect to our ancestors.
But, Felix said that sugar skulls are not just reserved for those who have died.
“A decorated calavera can also be given as a gift on Day of the Dead to a living loved one,” he said.
The museum is offering guests the chance to decorate their own sugar skulls ahead of the annual holiday. Both the skulls and decorating materials will be available in the Museum Café on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and on Sunday, Oct. 27 from noon - 4 p.m.
It costs $10 for one sugar skull and $15 for two. The price includes your materials for decorating. You can also snag a 10% discount with the purchase of an item from the café's children's menu.
You don't have to pre-register to participate. Just show up, and get creative!
