Home Culture Where to Celebrate Día de los Muertos in New Jersey 2024

Where to Celebrate Día de los Muertos in New Jersey 2024

by Hoboken Girl Team
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The fall season may be the best time of year. Not only is it autumn, which comes with beautiful colors, cool weather, and the resurgence of PSLs, but there are also a plethora of holidays and celebrations for everyone to enjoy. In addition to holidays like Halloween, Diwali, and Thanksgiving, fall is also the season for the Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead — a Mexican holiday dedicated to the remembrance of loved ones who have passed away. From November 1st to November 2nd and beyond, there are a variety of events happening, such as the Riverview Farmer’s Market Day of the Dead Celebration. Read on to learn more about Día de los Muertos events happening in Hoboken, Jersey City, and beyond for 2024.

Disclaimer: This is a community resource. Submit events HERE and view the full calendar HERE. The Hoboken Girl is not affiliated with hosting unless explicitly stated.

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History

Typically observed on November 1st and 2nd, Día de los Muertos is a time when families come together to honor their ancestors. According to The Arena Group, the Day of the Dead began roughly 3,000 years ago amongst the Aztecs, Toltecs, and Mayans. It was around this time that death and the dead should not be mourned but instead, be celebrated and viewed as a natural part of life.

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Most notably, the Nahua people of central Mexico believed the deceased traveled on a year-long journey to ‘Chicunamictlán,’ the Land of the Dead. Travelers would provide supplies, such as food and water, to help them on their long voyages. It was this practice that inspired the modern tradition of creating ofrendas — or altars — at their homes, in addition to leaving special offerings at graveyards.

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Once the Spanish colonized Mexico in the 16th century, Catholic views of the dead influenced many Mexican customs. The holiday came to fall on November 1st and November 2nd to align with All Saints Day and All Souls Day on the Catholic calendar. The first day honors children who have passed, while the second celebrates adults. The celebration also falls around the time for harvesting, recognizing a seasonal change from light to dark as we’re transitioning into the fall.

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Traditions

To entice or lure spirits back to the ‘land of the living’ for the festivities, people create altars, or ofrendas, at their homes and at the gravesites of their deceased loved ones. Altars are accompanied by sentimental toys, memorable pictures, colorful marigold flowers, and skulls.

The signature skull happens to be one of the most distinguishable symbols of the holiday — which originated from a Mexican illustratorHandmade skeleton figurines, called Calacas, are also popular and are symbolic of an active and joyful afterlife. Yellow marigolds, known as “the flower of the dead,” and other fragrant flowers are used to communicate to the spirits the richness of the offering. Altars include all four elements of life: water, the food for Earth, the candle for fire, and for wind, Papel Picado, colorful tissue paper folk art with cut-out designs to stream across the altar or the wall.

In addition, families gather at the site to eat, tell stories, and even clean the graves. The most prominent food consumed is pan de muerto, or bread of the dead, which is a yeast-based sweet egg bread. Other delicacies include calabaza en tacha (candied pumpkin), Calaveras (the famous sugar skulls), tamales, atole, and spicy Mexican hot chocolate. While some people have full-on parties, and some people have a velación, or observance, the overarching theme is that rather than grieving the loss of loved ones and fearing death, one should accept death as a part of life.

See More: 27 Holiday Pop-Up Markets + Bars in New Jersey Happening for 2024

2024 Día de los Muertos Events

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