The history and customs of Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday honoring departed loved ones, were on display Nov. 2 during an event hosted by Livingston Arts at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Leicester.
Mikayla Johnson, right, helps Nicole Ruiz put glue on a paper skeleton puppet during the Day of the Dead celebration while Alex Dennie watches. Johnson and Dennie, both freshmen at York Central School, volunteered at the event after learning about Day of the Dead traditions in their Spanish class.
Several craft stations were set up for the Day of the Dead celebration. The stations were run by student learning Spanish at York Central School.
Pat Park reaches for a pipe cleaner to use while making a flower during the Day of the Dead celebration.
Katharina Nieves cuts the edges of tissue paper to create a unique design for a paper flower.
Emily Carney, left, and Jamie Irwin give instructions to Katharina Nieves as she makes a flower out of tissue paper and a pipe cleaner. Carney and Irwin, both juniors at York Central School, volunteered at the Day of the Dead celebration with other classmates after learning about the tradition in their Spanish class.
Items such as tamales, fruit and candy covered the ofrenda at St. Thomas Aquinas. An ofrenda is traditionally filled with the favorite foods and drinks of deceased loved ones to greet their visiting spirits during Day of the Dead.
Items such as tamales, fruit and candy covered the ofrenda at St. Thomas Aquinas. An ofrenda is traditionally filled with the favorite foods and drinks of deceased loved ones to greet their visiting spirits during Day of the Dead.
Mary Beth Cecchini leaves a note for her dad, who passed away six years ago, on the ofrenda set up at St. Thomas Aquinas for Day of the Dead. In Mexican tradition, notes for deceased loved ones are placed alongside their favorite foods and drinks on an ofrenda, typically a small altar in a family’s home.
Karen Canning, Traditional Arts Program Director at Livingston Arts, explains traditions associated with Day of the Dead Nov. 2 at St. Thomas Aquinas in Leicester. Day of the Dead, which is celebrated from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, is a Mexican holiday to honor departed loved ones.
Hanna Wolfgange, right, makes a paper flower with help from Emily Carney, a junior at York Central School. Carney volunteered at the Day of the Dead celebration with other classmates after learning about the tradition in a Spanish class.
Katharina Nieves makes a flower out of tissue paper and a pipe cleaner during the Day of the Dead celebration.
