Revives the Day of the Dead tradition with a grand offering at the General Directorate

Nestor Pinacho

Two skeletons having tea, a Catrina adorned in her finest dress and headdress, a dapper gentleman returned from the afterlife, and children playing marbles with bone structures; candles illuminating a grand offering dedicated to our founder, General Lázaro Cárdenas. Those who had the opportunity to visit the General Directorate during the preceding season and the Day of the Dead celebrations could observe these and more elements.

Calaveras, marigold flowers, and copal transformed the headquarters of the IPN's General Directorate into an installation and a commemorative Day of the Dead offering, created by the Directorate of Foreign Language Training with the support of Cenlex Zacatenco and Santo Tomás.

Silvia Blanco Vázquez, the director of Foreign Language Training, who supervised, participated, and contributed part of her Catrina collection to the installation, stated in an interview with Gaceta Politécnica that it was an honor to collaborate in this activity that aims to keep our ancestral traditions alive.

Furthermore, she explained that the seven-level offering, placed at the main entrance of the building, was crafted with all the typical elements, such as papel picado, incense, salt, water, and dozens of candles to guide loved ones to the food and objects placed on it. Sugar skulls with the names of secretaries and directors of our institution, including the General Director, Arturo Reyes Sandoval, were also present.

The installation, located in the central space of the building, was dedicated to representing characters from Diego Rivera's iconic mural, "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central." The most iconic characters, such as children playing marbles, the balloon vendor, or historical figures like Benito Juárez, were extracted from the mural and represented with papier-mâché skulls. Attendees could enjoy these representations over three weeks, during which, as always, the doors of our General Directorate were open to welcome the community.”

Gaceta Politécnica #1757. (November 15th, 2023). IPN Imagen Institucional: Read the full magazine in Spanish here