Day of the Dead
October 29th & 30th - 12pm to 5pm
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Murphys Businesses Honor the Dead in the Land of the Skulls on Dia de los Muertos
Murphys merchants and tasting rooms will be celebrating the Second Annual Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, on October 29th and 30th from 12-5 pm. Participating businesses will be offering authentic cultural art, food, sugar skulls, face painting and live music as well as displaying altars celebrating the lives of those who have passed on but are with us in heart and spirit on the Day of the Dead.
 This Mexican holiday traces it's roots back to the indigenous cultures of Mexico and Latin America but has become inextricably intertwined with the Catholic observance of All Saints Day and All Souls Day over time. Although this celebration is associated with the dead, it is not a morbid or depressing time, but rather a period full of life, happiness, color, food, family and fun. In Mexico, there is excitement everywhere on the Day of the Dead. Outdoor markets display and sell symbolic items like special breads, pottery, baskets, candles, paper puppets, candy skulls and flowers. Skeletons are an important symbol of this day and they are displayed hugging, dancing and laughing in shop windows and on street corners.
Traditional activities are believed to "welcome the souls of the dead." The souls are said to return each year to enjoy the pleasures of the life that they once had. These souls are thought to return as spirits from another world to be with their loved ones for a few brief hours. A widely held belief is that the souls of children (angelitos) return first so food and gifts appealing to children are set out for them. The adult dead are said to return a day or two later and their favorite items as well as elaborate food and drink are set out for them as well. It is believed that candle light as well as the scent of marigolds and copal incense will help the ghosts find their way back home.
 The Bodega del Sur Winery, Creative Cookware, Domain Becquet Winery, Frogs Tooth Vineyards, Marisolio Tasting Bar, Muir's Legacy Tasting Room, Murphys Nursery, Next!, The Spice Tin, Sustenance Books, Tanner Vineyards Tasting Room, and Tea-an-Tiques will all have altars honoring the dead. In addition, Aria Bakery and Alchemy Wine Bar and Restaurant will have traditional Mexican and Day of the Dead foods available. Pick up a map at any of the participating businesses and spend some time seeing how the Day of the Dead is being celebrated here in Calaveras County, the Land of the Skulls.
The public is welcome to participate in the remembrance of loved ones by contributing items to the altars. Please contact the business owner first though to make sure there is an appropriate space for your item.
Additional information on the history, traditions and beliefs associated with the Day of the Dead can be found at http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/1427-los-dias-de-los-muertos-the-days-of-the-dead
Participating Businesses
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Bodega Del Sur
209.728.9030
457 S. Algiers St.
Murphys, CA 95247
Website:www.bodegadelsur.com
Bodega del Sur's Tasting Room will feature an altar to honor the life of women, along with a traditional hot chocolate and pan de muerto (bread of dead).
Of special note is an exhibit and sale of Dia del los Muertos art from artist and collector Frank Sanchez. The work will be open for viewing and at the Murphys House on Main - 331 Main Street, Murphys. This special exhibit will run the weekend from 11:00-5:00. |
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Yogurt Your Way
209-728-9990
435 Main Street
Murphys, CA 95247
Yogurt Your Way's altar will be devoted to Jenny's Sitee, (grandmother), Najeebe Dahir,who inspired Jenny to cook! She and Jenny would sit under her grape arbor in the backyard and make Lebanese food together in their sun hats.
She left her family and country at a very young age, traveled alone and arrived in the USA for an arranged marriage with my Jidue (grandfather) and had to spend two months on Ellis Island due to her poor eyesight. To learn more about this remarkable woman, visit Jenny's altar at 435 Main Street, Yogurt your Way. |
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Muirs Legacy Vineyards
209-728-0500
219 Main Street
Murphys, CA 95247
MuirHanna@SBCGlobal.net
WWW.MUIRSLEGACY.COM
Muir's Legacy will be honoring the lives of fathers.
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Marisolio Tasting Bar
488 Main Street, Ste 101
Murphys, CA 95247
Tele: (209) 728-8853
Email: maisoliotastingbar@gmail.com
Website: www.marisolio.com
The focus of Marisolio's Dia de los Muertos altar this year is First
Responders. The brightly decorated altar will include items
representing our local fire and sheriff's departments, a book on the
Twin Towers, EMT items, and more, to remind us of those who have passed who provided these services to their families and communities.
Traditional items for the Dia de los Muertos altar will in place,
including a glass of water, flowers, pan de muertos (literally, "dead
bread"), candles and incense. Papel picado will be strung across the shop in black and white, and our shop's background music will reflect the Hispanic style of this celebration. |
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Murphys Nursery
209-728-3220
88 W. Hwy 4
Murphys, CA 95247
Website: www.murphysnursery.com
Murphys Nursery will be paying tribute to Murphys, Mother Lode, and California's rich mining heritage with an altar honoring the 49ers and early miners.
We plan to have photos and perhaps some artifacts from early mining on the altar. Sue and I frequent the vast Mojave and have visited numerous ghost towns and mining camps, particularly in the Panamint Valley located between Death Valley and the China Lake Navel Weapons Air Station headquartered in Ridgecrest. |
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Next! Upsale Resale
209.728.2274
220 Big Trees Road (by Sierra Hills)
Murphys, CA 95247
Email: diane@dianecady.com
We will be honoring all soldiers who have lost their lives in Iran and Afganistan, as well as our military who have served in the last one hundred years. We will serve some refreshments as well, and as always open 7 days a week from 10 to 5..our alter will be inside incase of rain.
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Sustenance Books &
209-728-2200
416 Main Street
Murphys, CA 95247
Website: www.sustenancebooks.com
Sustenance Book will also be participating. |
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Frog's Tooth Tasting Room
380 Main Street, Suites 5
Murphys, California 95247
Phone (209) 728-2700
Frog's Tooth will, once again, be participating in the Day of the Dead celebration in Murphys. We will be hosting the altar to honor "men". There will be traditional altar decorations such as sugar skulls, papel picado, and pan de muerto. A roving Mariachi band will start at Frog's Tooth Vineyards tasting room and move throughout town at the different participating merchants finally finishing at Frog's Tooth later in the day. People are encouraged to bring flowers, photos, mementos, and food for their departed loved ones. All items will be returned at the end of the celebration.
Frog's Tooth will be featuring some of our Spanish style wines and offering discounts. |
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The Spice Tin
209-728-8225
457 N. Algiers Street
Murphys, CA 95247
Email: patty@thespicetin.com
Website: www.thespicetin.com
The Spice Tin's altar will honor Pam and Ken, two incredible teachers who passed this year. Pam taught 4th grade at Michelson, and Ken was an icon science teacher at Bret Harte for decades. In honoring these two amazing people, we are also paying tribute to all educators who are now on the other side. |
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Tea an' Tiques
209-728-8240
419 Main Street, Suite C/D
Murphys, CA 95247
Email: antique-itis@sbcglobal.net
The altar at Tea an'Tiques will be honoring the the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March, 2011, and, by extension lives lost to other natural disasters. We will be sampling several Japanese green teas over the course of the weekend. There may also be some sweet treats to sample which feature green tea as an ingredient! |
October 29, 2011 - Anniversary Party at Independent - Stop by and help them celebrate with wine, food and prizes from 3:30 to 7:30 pm. Independent is located around the corner from Alchemy on Scott Street and is a working studio and eclectic shop featuring locally produced jewelry, art and children's clothes as well as an assortment of art supplies and quirky items from anywhere and everywhere.
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