By: Denise Valdez-Alvarez
OMAHA, Neb. – Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration held Nov. 1 and 2 that honors loved ones who have passed away. The tradition is rooted in Mexico and celebrated in the United States. As its popularity increases, new ways of educating communities about the tradition are emerging.
At Great Plains Theatre Commons, a Catrina makeup workshop and Catrina Runway show were developed in 2023 with the goal of educating younger generations born in the United States about the tradition.
Xitlalic Rodriguez, a second-year participant in the workshop, said she first learned about Day of the Dead in school and from her parents. However, her family does not make an altar because her grandmother never taught her mother how.
“So she [Rodriguez’s mom] thinks it’s like a pretty tradition and a cool one and an important one, but she says her mom never taught her how to do it. So, she can’t, you know, teach us how to do it,” Rodriguez said.
This is common in households where grandparents and earlier generations were the last to participate in the tradition.
Elizabeth Martinez Palma, a traditional Mexican dance instructor and artistic producer of Catrina Runway, said wanting to teach her children about her culture inspired her to create the workshop and runway show.
“What I wanted to do is explain the details about the altar, how it’s made of, and the intention was always to do it bilingual. Because as of now, you still have kids that only know Spanish, and sometimes, most of the time you still have adults that only know Spanish,” Palma said.
Participating in an immersive makeup workshop and fashion runway not only allows individuals to experience the traditions, but also to learn about La Catrina, the Day of the Dead and how it continues to change.
Along with the altar, another important element of the celebration is La Catrina. Juan Valdovinos guided the audience through the makeup steps for a contemporary Catrina look, similar to those seen in Disney’s “Coco.”
The Catrina makeup workshop connects with the Catrina Runway show to showcase traditional costumes and contemporary dresses that are part of the Catrina look. As host, Palma will introduce the history of La Catrina and the background of each dress.
“I know [there’s] social media and there’s all other stuff, but it’s not the same as seeing it in person, you know, seeing the altar, seeing the little details, looking at the dresses, touching the dresses, it’s different. It’s way different than just looking at the videos,” Palma said.
Rodriguez had the opportunity to model one of the dresses in last year’s runway show. She encourages anyone with a genuine interest in the celebration to attend an event.
“I would recommend doing and searching and just experiencing it all for at least once, you know. Cause you never know, you might like it and you might be able to teach it to somebody new,” Rodriguez said.
Catrina Runway will take place at Yates Illuminates on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
