The Bones of Tradition: The Many Lives of the Day of the Dead
October 23 @ 5:30 pm
In 2015, a James Bond movie introduced millions to a spectacularly staged Día de los Muertos parade in Mexico City. Two years later, the Pixar movie Coco depicted some of the rituals associated with the Day of the Dead. But did you know that the Mexico City parade didn’t exist until the filmmakers created it? Or that Disney, in anticipation of Coco’s release, filed an application to trademark the phrase “Día de los Muertos” to sell merchandise? What does the actual observance look like, and has it always looked that way? Through a series of images, this lecture travels across Mexico to uncover the many regional traditions behind one of the world’s most recognizable commemorations. Peel back the Hollywood imagery to explore a family of living practices shaped by Indigenous ritual, Spanish Catholicism, and sometimes, even the movies.
This lecture coincides with the FAC annual community event Día de Muertos, on November 1 and 2.
Themed Cocktail: Muertos Margarita
Lecturer: José Antonio Arellano, Associate Professor of English, United States Air Force Academy
Tickets: $26 ($20 for FAC Members), includes your first drink
About Libation Lectures
Libation Lectures is lecture series offering an educational twist to the traditional happy hour. Each lecture explores an aspect of the amazing art and artists from various FAC exhibitions and theatre shows, served up with a themed drink to help you really dive deep into the topic!
This lecture is part of the Libation Lectures Spring Series, which includes four lectures:
- Chasing the Cambrian Explosion, Friday, August 14
- A Victorian Gentlewoman in Colorado’s Mines, Friday, September 18
- The Bones of Tradition: The Many Lives of the Day of the Dead, Friday, October 23
- Dreaming of a White Christmas, Friday, November 20