Photo: Ofrenda at Mestizo Restaurant and Mexican Market. Used with permission.
The ofranda on show at Mestizo Restaurant, on display for the Day of the Dead.
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The Day of the Dead – or in Spanish, “El Día de los Muertos” – is a celebration that takes place every 2nd of November. It is a remembrance of loved ones who have passed which invites them to join the living for a meal.
Several spots around the city will be taking part in this important Mexican tradition.
“As Mexicans, we see death differently, it is not a sad moment”, explains Marysol Sánchez, founder of Mestizo Restaurant and Mexican Market. “[The Day of the Dead] is a moment of happiness where we wait for our loved ones to come back and enjoy their favourite things of when they were alive”.
Like Marysol, thousands of Mexicans will be participating in these festivities away from home. In the case of Mestizo, they have an “ofrenda” – a small altar where you put pictures of those who have died – set up in their restaurants and will have multiple activities throughout the weekend, like their mole festival.
There will also be a Day of the Dead Festival at Hackney Bridge, which will have parades, butterfly gardens, Mexican street food and crafts, as well as an ofrenda set up by the Centre for Mexican Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
UNAM has a “mega ofrenda” set up in Mexico City, which is a large altar where the students and staff choose a theme and leave gifts to those whose pictures are on it. This year the theme is cinema, and UNAM UK has decided to be part of this tradition from afar.
“We will have [pictures from] artists from the UK and Mexico. We’ll also have axolotls from Mexico and corgis from the UK to represent this union” says Ixchel Gayosso Erdosay, the “ofrenda” designer from UNAM UK. “What we want is to have a nice memory, it is better to remember our loved ones with an altar”.
According to the Mexican Government, at least sixteen thousand Mexicans are residing in the United Kingdom.
As the celebrations fill London with vibrant colours and memories, the Mexican community will come together to honour their heritage, proving that even far from home, the spirit of loved ones knows no borders.
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Headline“El Dia de Muertos” to be celebrated in London
Short Headline“El Dia de Muertos” to be celebrated in London
StandfirstThis weekend, the Mexican community will host multiple activities and festivals all around London to commemorate the Day of the Dead.
The Day of the Dead – or in Spanish, “El Día de los Muertos” – is a celebration that takes place every 2nd of November. It is a remembrance of loved ones who have passed which invites them to join the living for a meal.
Several spots around the city will be taking part in this important Mexican tradition.
“As Mexicans, we see death differently, it is not a sad moment”, explains Marysol Sánchez, founder of Mestizo Restaurant and Mexican Market. “[The Day of the Dead] is a moment of happiness where we wait for our loved ones to come back and enjoy their favourite things of when they were alive”.
Like Marysol, thousands of Mexicans will be participating in these festivities away from home. In the case of Mestizo, they have an “ofrenda” – a small altar where you put pictures of those who have died – set up in their restaurants and will have multiple activities throughout the weekend, like their mole festival.
There will also be a Day of the Dead Festival at Hackney Bridge, which will have parades, butterfly gardens, Mexican street food and crafts, as well as an ofrenda set up by the Centre for Mexican Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
UNAM has a “mega ofrenda” set up in Mexico City, which is a large altar where the students and staff choose a theme and leave gifts to those whose pictures are on it. This year the theme is cinema, and UNAM UK has decided to be part of this tradition from afar.
“We will have [pictures from] artists from the UK and Mexico. We’ll also have axolotls from Mexico and corgis from the UK to represent this union” says Ixchel Gayosso Erdosay, the “ofrenda” designer from UNAM UK. “What we want is to have a nice memory, it is better to remember our loved ones with an altar”.
According to the Mexican Government, at least sixteen thousand Mexicans are residing in the United Kingdom.
As the celebrations fill London with vibrant colours and memories, the Mexican community will come together to honour their heritage, proving that even far from home, the spirit of loved ones knows no borders.
