Wednesday, October 28, 2015

The Altadena Library Celebrates Halloween and Día de Los Muertos

Story, Photography and Video by MONICA TERADA

Children and parents came out to the Altadena Library on Tuesday night for a Halloween and Día de Los Muertos celebration, featuring spooky orange cupcakes and fun activities.

Andreas made a pirate out of his sugar-skull. He said he didn’t have anyone’s help to make it and he “used food coloring and beads.” His sister, Adeline, made a girl looking at a butterfly with her sugar-skull.

A few tables over, Zephyr, dressed in a Captain America costume, was decorating his sugar-skull with several layers of different colors of food coloring. His sister Alizé, who was dressed as a princess, was standing beside him observing. Zephyr added that he was going to put his multi-colored sugar-skull on an altar.

Other activities at the Halloween celebration included Mexican paper flowers and trick or treat bags. Jessica quickly learned how to put together her paper flower and proceeded to instruct others at her table. She made her flower out of purple and pink paper, according to her, “the best colors.”

The children quickly went through all of the library’s supplies of sugar-skulls, trick or treat bags, and cupcakes. They colored, they ate, they made a mess with food coloring, and then they went home, with a sugar-skull for the altar and a smile on their faces.

The Altadena Library continues its Halloween programming with a “Halloween and Day of the Dead Piñatas” event for young Adults and teens between the ages of 11-19 on Friday, October 30 at 4:00 p.m.  Young adults will be able to make custom piñatas from a few simple materials (balloons, papier mâchée, paint and tissue paper) for Halloween and Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead.) All supplies (including candy) provided. Be warned, the librarians say, this will get messy!

The Altadena Library is located at 600 East Mariposa St. in Altadena. For information, call (626) 798-0833.