Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos is not a Mexican Halloween celebration. On the Day of the Dead, families eat, drink and celebrate with the souls of their late relatives. This celebration happens each year on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

Día de los Muertos celebration is a vibrant combination of Mesoamerican rituals, Spanish culture and European religion. Ancient ceremonies were heavily altered and influenced during the Spanish occupation of Mexico, leading to a combination of the Christian celebration of All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2 with the native rituals.

Día de los Muertos celebrations draw inspiration from All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, but they differ greatly in their view of death. Following the devastation of the bubonic plague, Spanish culture viewed death in a much darker and more frightening light than Mexican and Mesoamerican cultures did.

Today Día de los Muertos is a national holiday in Mexico, and celebrated in many parts of the United States as well. St. Louis and the surrounding area feature several festivals and celebrations that honor this tradition. It is a poignant time, both solemn and joyous, with colorful customs, pageantry, and whimsy despite the sobering subject. You can find Circus Kaput face painters at several local events on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2  in the St. Louis area.

Face painting at Día de Los Muertos celebrations is becoming increasingly more popular as the years pass. At Circus Kaput, we have many talented artists who share their face and body painting for this special day to honor heritage, tradition and those who have gone before us.

Circus Kaput’s face painters are well versed in painting sugar skulls and other traditional Mexican art.  But we have a variety of other entertainers to choose from as well. In addition to face painters, we offer stilt walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and more!