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(Santa Barbara, CA) – Celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with a free craft day and exhibition on Sunday, October 23 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Casa de la Guerra in downtown Santa Barbara. Fun for the whole family—discover the fascinating history of this special holiday while decorating sugar skulls and making skeleton masks, tin artwork, block prints, and more. Enjoy traditional food, such as pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and Mexican hot chocolate.

Day of the Dead is celebrated annually across the world, merging pre-Hispanic customs with Catholic rituals introduced by the Spanish. The celebration exemplifies the synthesis of cultures that defines present-day Latin American culture and, in part, reflects the history of Santa Barbara. Families celebrate Dίa de los Muertos as a time when the spirits of their deceased loved ones return to commune with the living. Families decorate cemeteries and assemble ofrendas (which translates to “offerings”) on household altars, where favorite foods and items that the dead enjoyed in life, as well as flowers, candles, and personal mementos are placed. A moving tradition, Dίa de los Muertos celebrates Life and our connection to the past.