KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A stormy Friday night didn't stop the celebrations in Kansas City, Missouri, including Dia de Los Muertos at the Guadalupe Center.
Amid the celebration, the Guadalupe Center was filled with sounds and traditions.
“This goes back centuries, and so this has really become the kind of foundation of Mexican and Latino culture,” said Alyx Bartrom, vice president of development and marketing at the Guadalupe Center.
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, offers more than memories of those who have died, according to Bartrom.
“That's really what this holiday represents — celebration with your friends, with your family, honoring your loved ones in a fun and festive, colorful way,” Bartrom said.
On Friday afternoon, the Guadalupe Center was a full house filled with lights, music and Calaverras — or skeleton and skulls.
Calaverras is one of the key symbols of Dia de los Muertos, crafted by young and old, including 11-year-old Avalee Lewis.
“My mom made the one with the flowers eyes, but this one I painted and designed," Lewis said. "I like doing the puppets, they're probably my favorite part and it's fun to make them."
Families participated by laying out altars filled with pictures, offerings and memories of those gone.
The altars were filled with symbols and items that represent who those loved ones were.
“Including marigold and monarch butterflies as well,” Bartrom said. “Really it is just meant to be a celebration of your loved ones life.”
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