As every year, Casa Circulo Cultural and their allies ?the San Mateo County Museum of History and the Friends of the Redwood City Library? They bring to the center of the city the most important celebration of the Mexican tradition: the Day of the Dead.
On this occasion, it will be on Sunday, November 6, when the Plaza del Palacio de Justicia becomes the monumental stage in which a procession, catrinas, folkloric dance, Cuban and Peruvian music and even bel canto, come together to delight the public. and, without a doubt, accompany a large part of them to remember the land they left behind and their loved ones who are no longer here.
Every year, Casa Círculo Cultural chooses a theme or region of Mexico that has a deep link with this festivity. This year's theme is Xochimilco, which in Nahuatl means "farmland." It is a majestic region of Mexico City, famous for growing flowers and where part of the system of water channels used by the Aztecs is still preserved.
The celebration of the Day of the Dead is very important in Xochimilco. On this day, families make offerings in honor of their deceased loved ones, take floral offerings to the pantheons and travel the canals in trajineras?traditional boats with the name of 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 characters.
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 based on a call from Casa Círculo Cultural.
And as in any respectable Mexican festivity, there will also be food; tamales, pan de muerto, hot chocolate and other typical dishes of this commemoration will offer attendees the opportunity to rediscover the flavors of their land, those that they once enjoyed with their loved ones.
The public will be able to arrive from 3:20 in the afternoon, since at 3:40 the show of Grupo Azteca Mictlán will begin. From that moment on, every 20 minutes a different artist or group will perform, such as the Ballet Folklórico México Vivo, the Solera Choir and the Choir of the Latin Center, the Charros de Tlaxcala, the Kanchis Cultural Association of Peru, Los Panaderos, the Colibrí Folkloric Ensemble Group and Developpe Dance, with the ballet teachers from 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 welcome speeches. Later, at 6:30 in the afternoon, the procession will begin.
Later, Casa Círculo Cultural will present its typical dances of Xochimilco with children's, youth and adult groups led by teachers Casandra Espinoza, Anna Lee Mraz, Eduardo Torres and Omar Quezada.
Subsequently, the 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 interpreting traditional bel canto pieces, and the The show will end with a dance thanks to the interpretation of Johnny el Guajiro, from 7:10 to 8 at night.
Casa Circulo Cultural, the San Mateo County Museum of History, and the Friends of the Library have prepared an exciting Day of the Dead commemoration “from Xochimilco to Redwood City” style. Be part of this magical and ancient tradition, which is a true celebration of life.
You may be interested in: From earth to earth: Oaxacan rugs on Day of the Dead
