Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Vigil at Vizcaya Village

PLEASE NOTE: This is not a Halloween event but rather an authentic Indigenous ceremony and spiritual practice. The tone of this program is one of remembrance and honor.

ATTIRE: Please do not wear costumes or face paint. When choosing your attire for the evening, please consider what you might wear to a place of worship for a vigil.

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About Dia De Muertos with Ameyal Mexican Cultural Academy

Come to the Vizcaya Village and immerse yourself in an authentic experience of the Danza Conchera tradition in observance of the highest holiday of their calendar year: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). During this vigil filled with flowers, song, and dance we will honor those that have come before us and left on a mark on this world before passing on from it.

Before the event, educators from Ameyal will assemble a memorial altar, which will be used to honor our ancestors during the ceremony. As a participant, you are invited to bring your own offerings (ofrendas) to place on the altar during the first hour of the event. Beginning at 8 p.m., we will gather in a sacred circle while Ameyal members lead the ceremony wearing traditional regalia, playing sacred insturments, and blessing the place by burning resins and herbs.

• All ages are welcome, children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Preregistration is required. Space is limited.
• You may bring an ofrenda, or offering, for the altar. If you wish to place an offering in honor of a loved one who has passed, please arrive by 7:45 p.m. Making an offering is not required.
• This activity takes place exclusively at Vizcaya Village, the estate’s historic farm village, and does not include access to the east side of the property where the Main House and gardens are located.

This event is FREE and open to the public. Pre-registration is required.

Sacredness through the millenniums:

Danza de Concheros, surviving many Conquests,

By Antonia Guerrero.

The Danza de Concheros or Aztec Dance is a sacred dance ritual that has its roots in the very origins of the Mesoamerican civilizations that flourished for millenniums. The sacred circle of life is represented in a communal dance practice that has survived through many conquests. It brings together men, women and children to celebrate Creation and the forces of nature in a mystical spiritual form through dance, song, music and offerings of flowers and incense.

Today, countless and multiple communities of indigenous, campesino, rural and urban, young and old peoples are engaged in upholding a tradition associated with the ancient nahua people from the central region of Mexico. The importance of the Danza de Concheros through its oral tradition and practice, lies not only in recapturing an ancient past, but more precisely in its relevance to 21st century concerns about the survival of planet Earth.

The ancient cultures of this American continent have much to offer in helping modern civilization find its way back to a more balanced existence.

“Circles are important to the natural world: the sun, moon, and Earth are circles, with the Earth inside the circles of the sun and the moon. In a circle, all can see each other. No one is greater or lesser. All are equal. There is always an order. Danza requires discipline for entering into that order. If the circle moves to the left, the danzante has to move to the left; if to the right, the danzante must similarly follow. Danza is an implicit and explicit recognition of a divine order based on an understanding of cycles or circles and the importance of these to health and well-being” (Angela Valenzuela, Emilio Zamora & Brenda Rubio, Voices in Urban Education)

Host or Publisher Vizcaya Museum and Gardens