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Show Altar Displays Tradition Rflodiemisft ramsI Long-Hel- d mmGfflh a?na. 'MAM. The second annual Westmin- The Hispanic Club celebrated El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), on Nov. 2. with a colorful ofren-da- s (altars) placed in the long-standi- lies create an altar in their homes dedicated to their spirits. altars may contain toys, candy, and other sweets. The most distinct symbol of El Dia de los Muertos is the calavera or skull. This, along with many other items, are actually made from sugar and are known as alfenique. The other items may be small animals, such as lambs, miniature plates of food, and small coffins which usually contain pop-u- p skeletons. The skulls are made by pouring boiling water, confectioners sugar and lime into a clay mold, which has been soaked in water. When the skull is set it is then decorated with paper foil ng beautiful, at times disturbing, and perhaps oddly humorous. Di-em- cated to their spirits. Along with visiting the grave sito of the loved one, Mexican fami- ster Faculty Collage Concert, titled An Adventure in This American Modernism, will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Vieve Gore Concert Hall. which The concert will be the will third performance in this years Westminster College Concert Series. The concert will focus on the sounds of 20th century American modernism, which, according to the Concert Series brochure, is challenging HCarlyn Bond assumptions and practices regarding such elements as instructor, Yuki MacQueen melody, harmony, tonality and clarinet instructor and rhythm and sometimes Kathy Pope. the very nature and definiFeatured composers will itself. tion of music include Leonard Bernstein, Karlyn Bond, one of the featured faculty members and John Cage, Emma Lou Charles Ives, Lowell the director of the concert Lieberman, Douglas Moore, series, said that she is very Steve Reich, and Steve excited about the concert, Roens, who is the husband and knows that all of the of Cheryl Hart and a music other performers are as well. This is a highly unusual theorycomposition professor at the University of Utah. and private institutions are concert, which Im sure the Tickets to the Faculty audience will find strangely now increasing the promoCollage Concert are available beautiful, at times disturbtion of commemorative alhuat the box office in the Jewtars displaying them in muing, and perhaps oddly ett Center, and are free to all morous, she said. seums, educational centers Westminster students, faculWestminster faculty and other public venues. members featured in the ty and staff. For more inforFor more information on mation call (801) concert will include Bond, El Dia de los Muertos, or visit www.westminstercol-lege.educulturaleventan assistant professor of Carla Valencia, president of the Spanish club at crv0725 music, and pianist; voice in Im sure the audience find strangely ed The altars can be simple or elaborate and often are filled with the loved ones favorite food, drink, and items that provide pleasure to the deceased. For smaller children who have passed away, their -- is a highly unusual concert, Shaw center. El Dia de los Muertos is a holiday for the Hispanic culture when families spend time at the cemetery, visiting the graves of their loved ones. During the visitation the families clean and paint the headstones, arrange flowers or bring the flower of the dead, the marigold, and light candles to decorate the grave. Along with visiting the grave site of the loved one, Mexican families create an altar in their homes dedilong-celebrat- structor, Mary Ann Dresher; saxophone instructor, Greg Floor; voice instructor, Cheryl Ilart; piano instructor, Hope Holder; flute instructor, Sally Humphreys; violin for the eyes and colored icing for hair. A name is then given to the skull and children often exchange their named skulls with their friends. Another form of deco- rating the altars is to use 832-245- 7, ail papel picado or Mexican The paper cutouts have a long folk tradition in Mexico and the town of San Salvador, Huixcolotla, in the state of Puebla, is known for its fine cut paper. The papel picado is not cut-pape- r. just for El Dia de los but are often used at Meur-to- er, westminstercollege.edu.. ? s, weddings, baptisms and a quincineras (girls 15th birth- $$1? - Mr t it i" i dft 4 jilljif1 Otlft day.) El Dia de los Muertos is a day to remember the gone but not forgotten. It is a tradition that has been prac- - Uhr. MitU Milzj n 11 ticed for years. Unfortunately it has been fighting to stay a tradi- tion. Many supermarkets are marketing plastic pumpkins and candy for the Halloween festivals, changing the views of the ever modernizing Mexican society. Because of the North American Free Trade Agreement, many citizens are now actively pursuing the preservation of the Mexican culture. Now, even though supermarkets sell Halloween para- phernalia during the month of October, governmental t I'NKfi mp s. |