Days of the Dead: Honoring Ancestors

Oct 29, 2026 at the University Memorial Chapel Days of the Dead Activities: 1-3pm Join us for brief lectures and video overviews of Day of the Dead practices, paper mache-crafts, a collectively built offering to the ancestors, Mexican Dead Bread and hot chocolate, and more. All are welcome, and we encourage you to bring a contribution to the collective offering in the form of a photo, plant, or other object that your/our ancestors might enjoy. 4pm Panel Discussion: Intercultural Practices for Honoring Our Ancestors You are invited to a panel discussion on intercultural practices for honoring our human and more-than-human ancestors. The discussion will explore practices for healing and honoring our ancestors from both academic and practical perspectives. We will explore questions regarding who, why, and how we recognize and celebrate our ancestors. The panel will follow daylong activities and workshops on Days of the Dead practices for honoring ancestors from traditions in Mexico and Latin America. The panel will include perspectives from: Central American Traditions by artist Jessy DeSantis, Greek and Magical Traditions by educator Marcos Bisticas-Cocoves, Jewish Traditions by interreligious Scholar Ben Sax, Protestant Traditions by interreligious Scholar Joi Orr, and Muslim traditions by community leader Earl El-Amin. Sponsored by Latinx, Latin American, and Caribbean Studies; Center for Religion and Cities; Departments of Philosophy and Religious Studies; History; English, Creating Writing, Languages, and Cultures; Fine and Performing Arts; and the University Memorial Chapel.