El Paso Museum of Art unveils Dia de los Muertos altar

The consulate general of Mexico together with the El Paso Museum of Art unveiled an altar in honor of Dia de los Muertos.

“We Mexicans, we cannot separate the life without the death and that’s why we celebrate a very deeply rooted Dia de los Muertos,” said Richard Andes Licanda, deputy consulate general of the Consulate General of Mexico.

Licanda explains the tradition for those not familiar.

“We clean the graveyards of those departed to welcome them to come,” Licanda said.

Traditional altars are often adorned with food and beverages enjoyed by ancestors of the past.

Music also graces the skies on the Day of Dead but the altar at the El Paso Museum of Art is a bit unique.

It’s also adorned with broken pieces of sheet rock, tools and pictures of a deadly day for Mexico.

“This altar was made as a commemoration of the recent Sept. 19 earthquake in Mexico City,” Licanda said.

Licanda tells ABC-7 involving the youth also helps them understand the deep-rooted tradition.

“Celebrating Dia de los Muertos is celebrating Mexican culture, something that transcends borders, transcends everything,” Licanda said.

The altar will be showcased through Saturday.