CARMEL – From private homes in Carmel, Cold Spring, Kent, and Brewster to houses of worship throughout the region, Day of the Dead festivities were celebrated Sunday across Putnam County.
Day of the Dead or Dia De Los Muertos focuses on gatherings of family and friends who pray for and remember loved ones who died, while supporting their spiritual journey.
Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased by using sugar skulls, marigolds and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed as well as visiting graves bearing gifts.
Scholars link the modern holiday to Indigenous observances centuries old. It has since spread worldwide, blending with other long-standing traditions that honor the dead.
In South and Latin America, the holiday was celebrated by visiting cemeteries and churches.
In Spain, celebrations included festivals and parades, and people often gathered in cemeteries at day’s end to pray for deceased loved ones. Similar observances took place across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Ixmucane Pereira of Carmel and retired Reed Memorial Library Director Jeanne Buck brought the celebration to Putnam County a decade ago in order to bring all religions and ethnic backgrounds to the gathering by sharing love for those who passed on and are resting in eternal peace.
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