Like every year, Casa Circulo Cultural and its partners—the San Mateo County History Museum and the Friends of the Redwood City Library—bring the most important celebration of Mexican tradition to the city center: the Day of the Dead.
This time, it will be on Sunday, November 6th when the Plaza del Palacio de Justicia will become the monumental stage where a procession, catrinas, folk dance, Cuban and Peruvian music and even bel canto, will come together to delight the public and, without a doubt, accompany a large part of it to remember the land they left behind and their loved ones who are no longer with us.
Each year, Casa Círculo Cultural chooses a theme or region of Mexico that has a deep connection with this holiday. This year's theme is Xochimilco, which in Nahuatl means "land of cultivation." It is a majestic region of Mexico City, famous for the cultivation of flowers and where part of the system of water channels used by the Aztecs is still preserved.
The Day of the Dead celebration is very important in Xochimilco. On this day, families make offerings in honor of their deceased loved ones, bring floral offerings to the cemeteries and travel the canals in trajineras —traditional boats named after a woman and decorated with flowers—. During the tour it is common to listen to live mariachi music, enjoy a good meal and hear legends about dead people.
On November 6, the public will also be able to enjoy the traditional altars, which members of the Redwood City community created for this occasion following a call from Casa Círculo Cultural.
And as with any self-respecting Mexican holiday, there will also be food; stands selling tamales, bread of the dead, hot chocolate and other typical dishes of this commemoration will offer attendees the opportunity to reconnect with the flavors of their land, those they once enjoyed with their beloved deceased.
The public will be able to arrive from 3:20 p.m., since the Grupo Azteca Mictlán show will begin at 3:40 p.m. From that moment on, every 20 minutes a different artist or group will perform, such as the Ballet Folklórico México Vivo, the Coro Solera and the Coro del Centro Latino, the Charros de Tlaxcala, the Asociación Cultural Kanchis del Perú, Los Panaderos, the Grupo Ensamble Folklórico Colibrí and Developpe Dance, with the ballet teachers of Casa Círculo Cultural.
From 6:10 to 6:30, the guests of honor: Sheriff Carlos Bolaños, Mayor Giselle Hale, Police Chief Dan Mulholland and the Consul of Mexico in San Francisco, Remedios Gómez Arnau, will give their welcoming speeches. Later, at 6:30 in the evening, the procession will begin.
Afterwards, Casa Círculo Cultural will present its typical Xochimilco dances with children, youth and adult groups led by teachers Casandra Espinoza, Anna Lee Mraz, Eduardo Torres and Omar Quezada.
Later, tenor Alonso Sicarios, accompanied by Martha Rodriguez Salazar on the flute and Jennifer Peringe on the piano, as well as Fiorela, a CCC student and this year's revelation, will offer a sample of their talent by interpreting traditional bel canto pieces, and the show will end with a dance thanks to the performance of Johnny el Guajiro, from 7:10 to 8 p.m.
Casa Círculo Cultural, the San Mateo County History Museum and the Friends of the Library have prepared an exciting commemoration of the Day of the Dead in the style of “from Xochimilco to Redwood City.” Be part of this magical and ancient tradition, which is a true celebration of life.
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