Wake Me When I’m Dead

Remembering the dead is usually a gloomy affair. There’s a lot of crying involved, and often times we just push the dead to the back of our minds to spare the heartache and tissues. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a refreshing take on this ritual. Celebrated in several countries, but largely in Mexico, revelers remember the dead with funny and endearing stories and build altars, often leaving the favorite foods of the deceased, and offerings like colorful handmade sugar skulls. There will be a skull or two leering at you from "Death Without Borders," an art exhibition dedicated to the day, whose opening features more than twenty artists, dancing, pan de muertos (bread of the dead), chocolate, arts and crafts, a mask demonstration, and other performances. Interested parties take note: When the time comes, we would like a nice piece of thick-cut bacon and a bottle of top shelf vodka left at our fancy artist-made altar.
Nov. 2-22, 2008