DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION
On Saturday 29 October, we opened our gates to thousands of people for the biggest Dia de los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) festival outside Mexico! Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday, in which people welcome back the souls of loved ones who have passed for a brief reunion to share food, drink and joy.
We worked with UK Mexican Arts Society and many other local organisations to pull together a fun packed programme, including a community Ofrenda (a makeshift altar), Pan de Muerto (bread of the dead) making, hot chocolate and stories of cacao, face painting and La Catrina dressing up, storytelling, paper flower crafting, a youth art exhibition, treasure hunt and a plant sale.
Bursting out of the Story Garden, the party continued down Ossulston Street, with a huge stage blasting out live music, parades, dance performances and a market showing off the best food, drink and arts outside Mexico. Next door, the Living Centre hosted more arts and craft activities and the Francis Crick Institute screened the film Coco.
We want to say a big thank you to everyone who visited the Story Garden for Dia de los Muertos, and to all the staff and volunteers who made the day so special (particularly Annabel, Chaneti, Charlotte, Emma, Holly, Jemma, Jonathan, Joy, Lucy, Sam and Sarah)!
Notes from the Garden
A puncture is not how I envisioned starting the day, no one ever does. They always seem to happen when you’re in a rush, people are expecting you, and the weather is particularly…challenging.