Día De Muertos — Day Of The Dead

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) offers a visceral representation of the interplay of life and death. The ancient Mexican holiday honors the spirits of ancestors with vibrant and vivid expressions of life. The Catrina, with her vibrant skull makeup and costuming, cempasúchil, the luminous marigold flowers that lead souls with their fragrance, lively dances and puppetry, and the ofrenda, an altar ripe with offerings, all embody honoring death with life.

Carbondale Arts, in conjunction with groups like the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklorico, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their local Day of the Dead celebrations. Over the last 20 years, the festival has grown to encompass a large community ofrenda, dance, food and elegant costuming and pageantry.

“The collective honoring, healing and mourning feels tangible,” says Carbondale Arts representative and photographer Sarah Overbeck. The art is vibrant, the performance is emotional and the sense of community is palpable. “Death is not an exclusive experience for the living or the dead. It permeates familial and social circles, a puncture that lingers indefinitely,” adds Overbeck.

The Carbondale Day of the Dead festivities will be held on the first Friday of November, which this year coincides with the traditional Día de Muertos holiday.

Originally published in the Fall 2024 issue of Spoke+Blossom.