Death is the end. Or is it?
Ancient Mesoamericans believed that those who have passed are alive in the memories of the living. A faint but continuous echo in each of us that becomes louder when the shimmering spiritual curtain that separates the quick and the dead briefly dissolves each year on the Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, in early November.
On that day tears of mourning are transformed into joy during this 3,000 year old fiesta that honors and celebrates the reunion of those in this world with the souls of their lost loved ones in the next.
Join us for an exploration and celebration of Dia de Los Muertos in the parlor of
the historic Jerusalem Mill Lee Mansion with Shelley Davies Wygant, the author of
Haunted Ellicott City and Haunted Howard County Maryland. She’ll introduce
you to the ruthless Mayan and Aztec gods of death and reveals what lengths the
ancients went to appease them. She’ll show how Spanish Catholic priests made it
their mission to destroy an indigenous religious culture that stubbornly refused to
die. She’ll then invite you to participate uplifting rituals and traditions that will
help you honor and reconnect with your own loved ones who have gone on.
In addition to a fascinating presentation, the afternoon will feature delicious Dia de
Los Muertos light fare, treats, and beverages as well as a Haunted Ellicott City and
Haunted Howard County Maryland book signing.
We will honor the ancestors, after the lecture, in the historic 1830 Kitchen with homemade traditional foods and spirits, creating a vibe of communion, dining with the living and the dead. (Come in Costume if you like!)
This event is a fundraiser for Jerusalem Mill Critical Preservation Projects, such as the Bank Barn Reconstruction, the Smokehouse/Dairy Preservation and the Tenant House.
