Free Spirits and Souls Family Day: Celebrations from around the World

Spirits and Souls Day:

We invite our spooky friends to join us for Spirits and Souls Family Day: Celebrations from around the World to explore the Bruce and enjoy activities from 12pm – 4pm.

All visitors are welcome to wear costumes. The Bruce Museum is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all of our visitors. Please consult the guidelines at the bottom of the page when selecting your costume.

Mexico: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

El Día de los Muertos is a holiday in which friends and families honor their loved ones who have passed. Rooted in Mexican cultural heritage, El Día de los Muertosis celebrated mostly on November 1 and 2 in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. For some regions, festivities may begin as early as October 30.

Although there are some similarities, El Día de los Muertos is not a Mexican version of Halloween. We encourage you to join our educators to learn more about Mexico’s El Día de los Muertos celebrations and see a traditional El Día de los Muertos altar. Friends and families visiting the Bruce will have the opportunity to get involved by creating a paper plate “sugar skull” (recommended for ages 2.5 – 5) and decorating their own foam “sugar skull” (recommended for ages 5 and up)!

Japan: Obon Festival

The Obon Festival, known as Obon or simply Bon, is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one’s ancestors and loved ones who have passed. Obon is a 3-day celebration; start dates vary within different regions of Japan. Some celebrations of Obon can begin as early as July, others begin as late as August.

Through a variety of religious and festive activities such as prayer, dances called Bon Odori, visits to loved one’s graves, household altars, illuminating lanterns, different regions in Japan celebrate and remember their loved ones. Visitors to the Bruce will have the opportunity to get involved by creating their own paper lanterns, lighting the way home to their ancestors.

Guatemala: Festival de Barriletes Gigantes (Festival of the Giant Kites)

According to legend, in the town of Sumpango, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, evil spirits invaded the cemetery every first of November. The presence of these evil spirits would cause discomfort to the good souls, pushing them out of the cemetery and forcing them to wander through the streets and into the homes of Sumpango. To drive the evil spirits away, locals created objects that resembled kites as they believed the wind against the paper prevented unwanted visitors and calmed the good spirits.

Today, the Festival de Barriletes Gigantes is celebrated every first of November in Sumpango by the families who raise multicolored kites into the sky to remember their loved ones who have passed. Friends visiting the Bruce will have the opportunity to get involved by creating their own Festival de Barriletes Giganteskite!

United States: Halloween

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31 in the United States and other parts of Canada and Europe. The holiday originated when people would wear costumes to scare ghosts and other bad spirits. Today, Halloween involves activities like wearing costumes, carving pumpkins, and of course, trick-or-treating!

If you happen to forget your trick-or-treating bag at home, the Museum has you covered! With the help of an educator, you can create and decorate your own trick-or-treat bag to collect candy (from around the world) that is hidden throughout the museum.

United States: Duck Migration

While humans gear up for holiday celebrations like El Día de los Muertos, ElFestival de Barriletes Gigantes, Obon, or Halloween, our feathered animal friends are gearing up for their own journeys. Across North America birds and waterfowl are starting their migration south to warmer climates. In connection with The Bruce’s exhibit: Conservation through the Arts: Celebrating the Federal Duck Stamp come celebrate waterfowl and their great migration by making your own duck puppet.

Trick or Treat Stations

Throughout the Spirits and Souls Family Day: Celebrations from around the world, make sure to visit our trick-or-treat stations. Get a trick or a treat from each station, which have Halloween prizes and allergy friendly candies.

Costume Guidelines:

All visitors are welcome to wear costumes to the Bruce Museum. The Bruce Museum is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all of our visitors. In that spirit, we do not allow costumes that perpetuate cultural appropriation, discrimination, or violence of any kind.

Please consult the following guidelines when selecting your costume:

No full face-covering Halloween masks

No large accessories or replica/toy weapons of any kind – you will be asked to return these to your vehicle or place them in a locker or the cloak room.

For the protection of the art and objects on display, please avoid wearing a costume which sheds excessively.

The Bruce Museum reserves the right to refuse entrance to the Museum if the costume is deemed inappropriate, as determined by Bruce Museum staff.