Día de los Muertos Celebration
Sliding Scale
Ray of Bliss • NY | Monday, Nov 2 • 06:00 PM – 09:00 PM EDT
with Andrea & Sandra & Hans
Día de los Muertos Celebration & Cacao Ceremony
Join us for our 3rd annual Día de los Muertos celebration, an evening to remember, honor, and stay connected with our loved ones who have transcended.
About Día de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos is a living tradition rooted in pre-Hispanic rituals, with origins reaching back more than 3,000 years to the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, including the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec, who honored death as a natural part of life’s cycle. On November 1st and 2nd, the spirits of the departed are believed to return home to spend time with their families. To welcome them, altars are built with offerings that each carry meaning:
Candles to guide the souls to the altar
Marigolds (cempasúchil), the flower of the dead for the Aztecs. Its name comes from the Nahuatl for “twenty flowers,” and its golden petals were said to hold the warmth of the sun
Water to quench the thirst of souls after their long journey
Incense to mark the passage from life to death and keep away unwelcome spirits
Pan de muerto, a sweet bread that honors the generosity of the family
Favorite foods and drinks to delight the departed
Photographs of the loved ones being honored
Sugar skulls (calaveras), sometimes inscribed with a loved one’s name, as playful reminders that life and death live side by side
Our Celebration
We’ll gather for a cacao ceremony and a traditional Mexica Día de los Muertos celebration centered around a three-tiered altar. Place photos of your family members and beloved pets on the altar, along with food offerings for your loved ones. The evening includes ceremonial smudging and live music.
What to bring:
Candles and marigolds
Photos of your loved ones who have passed
Food offerings for your loved ones
A ceremonial cup or your favorite drinking cup
Traditional ceremonial or Mexica attire is welcome, and you’re invited to paint your face as a sugar skull.
Come as you are, wherever you are in your connection with your transcended loved ones and leave feeling held by community and ancestral love.
We are offering this on sliding scale contribution to support celebration materials, cacao, decorations and the team.
