It’s a good weekend to be a hispanista in Lexington. Granted we’ve had a great fall; from the Lexington Latino Festival to the many activities surrounding the Arts and Sciences Passport ¡Viva México! program, those of us who love the Spanish language and Hispanic culture have been busy. Still, this Friday and Saturday are special. 

This weekend we celebrate Día de los muertos, or Day of the Dead, a well-known holiday that has become increasingly popular in the US. On November 1^st and 2^nd, families throughout Latin America (but especially in Mexico) build altars and visit cemeteries to remember loved ones who have passed away. The holiday is joyous, despite the macabre theme. Día de los muertos is a time to laugh with death, to accept the fact that we’re all headed that way eventually, and to give those we have lost a place at our table for the night. Here are some suggestions for how you can celebrate this weekend, just follow the hyperlinks to more information about and directions to the events. ¡Qué vivan los muertos!

Preparations

Start your weekend early by picking up a loaf of pan de los muertos at a local tienda, or Hispanic grocery market, such as Supermercado Aguas Calientes,on the corner of Versailles Road and Alexandria Drive, or El Rancho Tapatio, located off Nicholasville Road on Burt Drive (the grocery is next to the restaurant). Don’t wait until Friday though, by the then it’s likely that the bread will be sold out. Also, don’t forget to stop by the Student Center and pick up your tickets for the Ballet on Saturday.

Friday November 1^st

3:30-6pm UK Visual Arts Association is offering a Day of the Dead printmaking workshop in the Student Center room 106. Just $5 for materials!

5-9pm Day of the Dead celebration at the Living Arts and Science Center on North Martin Luther Kind Blvd. LASC is just a mile from campus, here are directions if you’d like to walk or take the trolley.

Saturday November 2^nd

2-2:45pm Day of the Dead party for families and teens at the Village Branch of the Lexington Public Library.

7pm The Lexington Youth Ballet will offer a special performance of their Day of the Dead Ballet at the Lexington Opera House. Tickets are free for students, just pick them up at the Student Center. The Opera House is only a mile from campus, here are directions if you’d like to walk or take the trolley.

Get out and enjoy the festivities, then check back here next week and let me know how it went!