11:00 am to 3:00 pm
The spirit of Día de los Muertos comes alive at our next Día de Familia!
Decorate sugar skulls, craft a mini-ofrenda and marigolds, get your face painted, and contribute to our community ofrenda while you enjoy music and dance traditions of Día de los Muertos.
Free Community Event. Please register here or call the NHCC Welcome Center at 505-724-4771 for assistance.

5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Please join us for screenings of short films from Mexico, a cash bar, and a live Catrina en el Museo styled by BBLex Productions. Participate in our community ofrenda while you celebrate Día de los Muertos at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Special thanks to the Consul de Mexico for their support of this event.
Free Community Event. Please register here or call the NHCC Welcome Center at 505-724-4771 for assistance.

5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Spend a lively evening exploring Día de los Muertos celebrations, arts, and history at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Take back lessons for your students that will give them a deeper understanding of this important cultural holiday.
This is a free event for educators. The event is jointly sponsored by the National Hispanic Cultural Center and the UNM Latin American & Iberian Institute. Please register here or call the NHCC Welcome Center at 505-724-4771 for assistance.

Día de los Muertos is observed on November 1st and 2nd in many countries across Latin American. The celebration is the result of a blending of Catholic Spanish traditions with Indigenous customs and beliefs. It is believed that on Día de los Muertos the veil between the spirit world and real world is lifted long enough for the souls of the deceased to reunite with their families and friends. Those who celebrate Día de los Muertos welcome home the spirits of lost loved ones with music, food, offerings, and other colorful visuals traditions that vary from country to country and region to region.
In honor of Día de los Muertos, we have developed a series of lesson plans that celebrate several of the visual traditions unique to this colorful Latin American holiday. Join us in making a tapete de arena like the ones found in Oaxaca, México, in crafting a barrilete inspired by the giant kites that soar over the cities of Santiago Sacatepéquez and Sumpango, Guatemala, or in designing a myth-based costume worthy of La Calabiuza in Tonacatapeque, El Salvador. Although celebrated at the same time of year, Día de los Muertos is not Latin American Halloween; it is a time for remembering lost loved ones and for honoring Latin American history and culture.
Continue reading “Día de los Muertos: Lesson Plans” →
5 pm – 7 pm
Free Community Event
The National Hispanic Cultural Center will hold its annual Despedida (Farewell) to celebrate Día de los Muertos with music, poetry, and hands-on art at this time-honored community gathering. This is a great event for all ages. Tour the ofrendas around the NHCC campus and enjoy music, poetry, traditional hot chocolate mexicano, pan de muerto, and the sharing of heartfelt memories.
Día de Muertos is an annual traditional holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and many Hispanic communities. Join the NHCC and experienced, knowledgeable local artists to learn about the meaning of this celebration, the traditional arts and crafts associated with the celebration and development of ofrendas that honor families and individuals.
For more information please call 505-246-2261.
Free community event
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Free
You are invited to a special lecture and book signing!
Join artist and author, Ann Murdy, for a discussion of her book, On the Path of Marigolds: Living Traditions of Mexico’s Day of the Dead / En el camino de los cempasúchitles: Tradiciones vivas del Día de Los Muertos de México with Dr. Tey Marianna Nunn, Director of the NHCC Art Museum. The discussion will be followed by a book signing with the author.
About the Author
Ann Murdy is an award-winning photographer who has been taking pictures of México’s Day of the Dead and other celebrations since 1991. Her photographs are in the permanent collections of the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, the photo archives of the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, and the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City. She has a B.A. from Chapman University in Orange County, and also B.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute.
Continue reading “Día de Los Muertos: Lecture and Book Signing with Ann Murdy” →