Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican festivity happening the 1st and 2nd of November each year, when Mexicans gather together to celebrate the memory of friends and family who have passed away, in the belief that they visit their living families and spend the day with them.
In contrast to how death is treated in traditions throughout the world it is a joyous and mischievous festival, focused on celebrating the life of those who have passed away, be grateful for and preserve the memories they left, and make light of mortality while also remembering how integral death is to life itself.
One of the most important traditions for Day of the Dead is the colorful ofrenda or altar, set up in both homes and public spaces to guide the spirits of the dead home, ensure their comfort, and for the living family to cherish and celebrate the memory of the dead while having some fun.
The altar placed in HKAPA’s Library is an initiative by Alvar Villa Martínez, a new student of APA who comes from Mexico and wished to share this important aspect of his culture with the entire APA community. For this purpose, he recreated a traditional altar as he would set it in his own home. All photographs in the altar are of his own family.
每年11月1日及2日為墨西哥的亡靈節 (Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead) ，當地人會跟家人 相聚在一起，記念及緬懷已逝去的親人。
有別於其他地方對死亡的忌諱，亡靈節是一個喜悅的節日。墨西哥人會對已故親友的生命讚歎及為過往的記憶感恩。慶祝過程淡化對死亡的恐懼，同時亦保留著死亡是生命後續的看法。另一重要傳統，就是在家中或其他地方設置一個數層高色彩繽紛的祭壇 (ofrenda or altar)，與家人一起懷念先人。
在學院圖書館所展出的祭壇為來自墨西哥的研究生 (Alvar Villa Martínez) 所製作，他希望透過是次展覽，與演藝師生分享墨西哥的傳統文化。他複製了一個傳統祭壇樣板，展示的照片均為他已逝世的親人。
