Smithsonian Dia de los Muertos Festival
A Second Life Experience!
The Smithsonian Latino Center presents a Dia de los Muertos 3D experience in the Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum (LVM) illustrating customs and beliefs varying from ancient Mesoamerica to those currently practiced in today’s Latino culture.
Join us…in celebrating and exploring Latino cultural heritage through this holiday for honoring the dead and the cycle of life and death. Learn different aspects of Día de los Muertos and how it is celebrated and practiced.
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a day of celebration for the people of Latin America, particularly in Mexico and Central America, and more recently for Mexican Americans. Rather than grieve over the loss of a beloved family or friend, they choose to commemorate the lives of the dearly departed and welcome the return of their spirits. The history of Day of the Dead is embedded with Pre-Hispanic and Spanish customs. These customs shaped the common elements of traditional Mexican Dia de los Muertos. Today, Day of the Dead has been increasingly popular with Latinos in the United States. Though many of the traditional elements have remained how and where Day of the Dead is celebrated has changed.
Go to LVM in Second Life or visit our LVM USTREAM channel.
It is free to participate in LVM Dia de los Muertos you just need an
avatar account and
download SL client, then go directly to our
Placita-Music Island where our festival will take place.
"Your events are very diverse ... poetry, storytelling, sports, parades ... music ... that's very good!"
- Anonymous 2010 visitor, (SLC_SLVM_DODReport, 2010).
Sign up for Tournament here...send us an email at: lvmsecondlife@gmail.com.
The Day of the Dead Ballgame Tournament, sponsored by the Walt Disney Company, is based on the first organized, ancient Mesoamerican sport played almost 3,500 years ago, using a rubber ball. The ball game will take place at the Ballcourt of the Sun located in the music island of the Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum. Festival participants are encouraged to learn more about the game by visiting www.ballgame.org, and organizing tournaments with friends and family as the Ballcourt of the Sun will be open to visitors throughout the festival.
Coming Soon!
The Smithsonian's Fourth Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration of in-world programs and events starting Oct. 31st – Nov. 2nd
- Dead Poets Virtual Reading & Open Mic Hosted by guest poet Jose de la Cruz. Featuring Cuban-American Artist Paul Sierra; Mouthfeel Press Poets and UTEP Chicano Studies Dept. Poets
- Featured music by Lila Downs, Radio La Chusma, La Santa Cecilia and more…
- Experience Drumming workshops in Virtual/Real spaces
- Live webcast of mural art creation by visual artist Jessica Charton from Santa Clarita, California
- Live webcasts from Hollywood Forever Cemetary in Los Angeles, California
- Build your own virtual Altars and exhibit them in our public sandbox
- Día de los Muertos community ofrenda in LVM's virtual cemetery
- University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) takes on the Smithsonian home team in a meso-ball game tournament of life and death at the Ballcourt of the Sun
- Fiesta de las Calaveras & Costume Contest
- Calaveras y Carritos Race – A tribute to Artist Gilbert 'Magu' Lujan
- Film Festival featuring documentary on Día de los Muertos Art in the United States
- Featured Calavera game in Unity 3D!
- New! Tweet your ofrenda during the blessing ceremony on opening night!
This year's
Ofrenda dedications will include:
Resources:
Click here to play.
