Day of the Dead & Art Festival, 4th Annual Niagara 2024

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican festivity from the Aztec times, modified and adapted by different cultures and societies over the years. The primary purpose is to remember our loved ones who have passed away in a happy tradition where we can be with them, keep in contact with them, and bring their favourite food, music, and something unique and mindful to enjoy together in the celebration.

As a newcomer, mainly from Mexico and Latin America, it is vital to keep our traditions and, more importantly, to transmit this celebration to our kids as part of our heritage. At the same time, we are proud to share our culture and be part of Canadian society. For this reason, the Annual Niagara Day of the Dead & Art Festival must be a family-oriented free festival. Likewise, it is a community-organized event that provides an authentic test of Mexican culture, gastronomy, music, art, and dance for all visitors.

In 2008, UNESCO recognized the importance of Día de los Muertos by adding the holiday to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Multicultural festivals are essential to building healthy societies by promoting social harmony through the feeling of community. For instance, most immigrants suffer from isolation at the beginning of their new lives, but participating in or assisting in a cultural festival, where the newcomers will experience familiar activities like dancing, music, typical food, and language, will act as a refuge from their daily lives and mitigate the social isolation and exclusion.

It has been demonstrated that multicultural festivals give harmony and integrate different ethnicities' cultures, traditions, and heritage. Even more, immigrants want to be adopted into society; they want to share their experiences and traditions, making these festivities a way of giving back to the community and integrating into their new Canadian culture.