Each year, the Latino community celebrates certain observances, some of which are unique to the culture.  One of those observances is El Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2.  El Día de los Muertos is a traditional Hispanic holiday in which those who have passed away are remembered.  The holiday coincides with the Christian observances of All Souls Day and All Saints Day.  However, rather than a somber observance, El Día de los Muertos is festive and celebrates life and death.

While Latinos celebrate the spirit of those who have passed away, it is also a good opportunity to remember the loved ones whose lives were cut short because of tobacco.  By leveraging community awareness of this event to deliver the cessation message, you can increase the reach and effectiveness of your efforts.

Background
The traditional celebration of El Día de los Muertos can be traced back to the Aztecs.  The observance has changed over time, but the celebration remains part of Latino culture.  Today, Hispanic families often honor deceased loved ones by visiting gravesites and sprucing up the headstones of loved ones.  Some families have picnics at the cemetery and gather to tell stories about the departed.  More commonly, Latinos erect makeshift altars in the home that are adorned with photographs of lost loved ones.  Since the departed are expected to pay visits to living family members, the altars also include candles, food and drink as offerings to the dead.

Tying in the Tobacco Cessation Message
One example of how to include a tobacco cessation message to this holiday would be to erect a public altar that commemorates local victims of tobacco.  The public could be invited to participate by offering photographs and items to decorate the altar.

Another way to commemorate victims of tobacco would be to provide your local media with public service announcements that suggest to smokers that they can pay their respect to the dead by deciding to quit smoking for El Día de los Muertos.


How to: Build a Public Altar
Building a public altar need not be difficult, or expensive.  A few items are needed, however, and a list is included here.

• table
• tablecloth
• candles
• offerings to the dead that can include toys, flowers and food, such as Mexican bread, fruit, hot chocolate
• photographs of the deceased
• signage explaining the significance of this Day of the Dead display

Swap Meets
Sometimes they are called flea markets.   Whatever they are called, swap meets in communities with a large Hispanic population are an excellent venue for a Day of the Dead altar and distributing cessation information.  Usually a booth can be purchased for a nominal amount and, if you can give away inexpensive anti-smoking promotional items such as sun visors or key chains, you will be able to attract people to your booth.

Shopping Malls
You can contact the management of a local shopping mall that attracts Latinos and ask for space in the mall to set up an altar and dispense cessation information.  If you explain your mission and the fact that you are not selling or promoting a product for profit, but are dispensing health-related, public service information, many mall managers will allow you to use their facility for a day or weekend.

Public Service Announcements
The media can be an excellent messenger for your tobacco cessation message.  By providing your media with public service announcements or press releases, you can heighten awareness of your El Día de los Muertos campaign.  Included in this section is a sample media pitch letter, press release and public service announcement.

AS YOU CELEBRATE DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AND THE MEMORY OF LOST LOVED ONES, THINK ABOUT THIS: IF YOU ARE A SMOKER, YOU RE AT RISK FOR CANCER, EMPHYSEMA, HEART DISEASE AND OTHER LIFE-THREATENING DISEASES.  YOU HAVE LOVED ONES WHO DO NOT WANT TO LIGHT A CANDLE IN YOUR MEMORY FOR NEXT YEAR S EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS.  CHOOSE EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AS THE DAY YOU QUIT SMOKING.  CALL THE SMOKERS  HELPLINE AT 1-800-45-NO FUME.  THAT S 1-800-456-6386.  YOU LL GET PERSONAL, CONFIDENTIAL HELP TO QUIT SMOKING FOR GOOD.



For immediate release                                                   For information, contact:
                                                                                  NAME, PHONE NUMBER

(CITY) -  In honor of El Día de los Muertos, officials of the (County/City) Health Department are erecting a public altar commemorating lives lost to tobacco use.  The altar will display photographs of tobacco victims and will be available for public viewing on (DATES) at (LOCATION).


The public is invited to provide photographs of lost loved ones that have died as a result of tobacco use or other offering for use at the altar. 


Every year, tobacco claims the lives of XXX people.


While many smokers recognize that tobacco is harmful, the “it won’t happen to me” attitude often prevails over attempts to quit smoking.  This El Día de los Muertos observance intends to be a poignant reminder that smoking has killed millions of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles – and it can happen to them.


More than 15 percent of California Latinos smoke.  According to the American Lung Association, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Hispanics.


Photographs should be sent to (ADDRESS) by (DATE).  Photographs cannot be returned.  Other offerings can be dropped of at the viewing.

For more information on the Day of the Dead observance, call (CONTACT) at (PHONE NUMBER).