On October 30, 2010 Calvary Catholic Cemetery, in association with MACSA (Mexican American Community Services Agency), in San Jose, California, will be presenting the inaugural Día de Los Muertos celebration for both organizations. Catholic Cemeteries hopes that the Día de Los Muertos celebration at Calvary Catholic Cemetery will grow to be San Jose’s hallmark event for Day of the Dead celebrations annually.

Remembering our Precious Family & Friends Who are no Longer with Us.

Without question, 2008-09 has been a very difficult year. It has given us sad economic news, health burdens and sometimes personal loss.

But the XXXIII Annual “Festival de la Vida” is about the joy of living and of keeping alive the memories of our most precious family and friends who are no longer with us.

The First Unitarian Church of San Jose will hold it's annual Day of the Dead Service and Celebration at 10:30 am Sunday, November 1, 2009.  Bring a photo or token of a lost loved one to contribute to our beautiful Day of the Dead alter.  The service will be in English, with simultaneous Spanish translation provided on our in-house headsets. Everyone is welcome!  (www.sanjoseuu.org/)

New Photo Exhibit Now on Display At San Jose's
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

WHAT:        Exhibit of more than 50 images captured by accomplished local photographer Mary J. Andrade, that focus on various aspects of the celebration of the Day of the Dead, a pre-Hispanic tradition celebrating the lives and legacies of families and communities of the people who have died during the year. For additional information contact: Veronica Murguia at (408) 436-7850 ext. 12 or veronica@laoferta.com.

Day of the Dead in Mexico represents a mixture of Christian devotion and Pre-Hispanic traditions and beliefs. As a result of this mixture, the celebration comes to life as an unique Mexican tradition including an altar and offerings dedicated to the deceased.

The altar includes four main elements of nature — earth, wind, water, and fire.

Text by Patty Cruz Lopez
Photos by Mary J. Andrade

Walk through the doors of the Martin Lther King Jr. library, in San José, California, between the dates of Oct. 16 through Nov. 7 and there is an undeniable pull towards the ascending elevators where the fourth floor button flickers on and off taunting visitors to get close and personal with death.

The elevator doors slide open and the senses are inundated by the smell of the marigold flower beckoning both the living and the dead to come and take a peek. A large black and white skull stands guard at the entrance of the exhibit called The Art of Remembrance, part of the 11th annual Día de los Muertos Celebration presented by San Jose Multicultural Artists Guild and Teatro Familia Aztlan.

COME ENJOY AN EVENING OF REMEMBRANCE & CELEBRATION!!

The 34th Annual Festival de la Vida, a Day of the Dead Celebration, will be held this year at 7:00 PM on October 24 & 25, 2008 at the Dr. Anthony Soto Theater (CET) at 701 Vine Street in Downtown San Jose, California.

Last year’s event was an enormous hit - heartwarming, inspiring, and fun - a delightful, intergenerational experience of culture, dance, and music. Along with regional dances from various parts of Mexico, Folklorico Nacional Mexicano will take you to Lake Patzcuaro with a dance presentation of Michoacan’s Day of the Dead celebrations at Tzintzuntan and Janitzio and the hilarious Danza de los Viejitos. Alto songstress, Vanessa Molina returns with a special homage to mothers and grandmothers. Award-winning singer Gabriela Sepulveda-Magana will belt out some of your favorite, toe-tapping songs. Musicians, Aztec blessings and ancestral offerings complete the evening.

El Teatro Campesino, The Farmworkers Theater of America located in San Juan Bautista, California will be celebrating , the traditional Mexican celebration of All Souls Day called “Dia de los Muertos”. This event, slated to begin on October 31, was initiated by El Teatro Campesino more than 30 years ago.