Pre-Hispanic Ritual and Celebration In the Day of the Dead

This lunch lecture encompasses the origin, evolution, and celebration of one of Mexico’s most colorful and celebrated holidays.

This sour, sweet celebration commemorates deceased loved ones and in an attempt to honor their life, Day of the Dead altars are prepared. These altars are set with different elements, which will be presented during this lecture as well.

Édgar Cota-Torres, associate professor of Spanish, specializes in U.S. Mexico border and Latin American literature and culture. Cota-Torres was the 2015 recipient of the LAS Outstanding Teaching Award. In 2013, he was recognized with the Faculty Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity and Inclusiveness. He has published numerous academic articles, chronicles, and poems in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Martinique, Spain, and Italy. His first book is titled “La representación de la leyenda negra en la frontera norte de México” (The Representation of the Black Legend in Mexico’s Northern Border) (2007). He currently works in a joint publishing venture titled New Borders/Nuevas Fronteras with the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali, Mexico, and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.