A Secular Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos Secular event is a celebration of life. Nontheist Hispanics view the Secular Day of the Dead as a perfect way to remember the legacy of dead loved ones in a way that does not require prayer, church, or religious dogma. To nontheists, our legacies are our afterlife.
The Secular Day of the Dead event will include many redesigned Hispanic traditions and rituals that celebrate our one and only life, legacies and cultural heritage.
More and more people are abandoning their religious upbringing but still want to celebrate the beauty of their culture. This is why a Secular Day of the Dead was created. The 2020 Secular Day of the Dead will be presented as a Zoom event on Sunday, November 1, 2020 with special attention to Spanish speaking participants. The 2020 Secular Day of the Dead is co-sponsored by The Freethought Society, Hispanic American Freethinkers, American Atheists, Center for Inquiry, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
11:45 AM (PST)/2:45 PM (EST) Pre-Event Social Music and chatting opportunities with like-minded individuals will take place during this 15 minute time slot.
Noon (PST)/3:00 PM (EST) Welcome Bilingual welcome by organizers and co-sponsors Robyn Blumner, Victoria de la Torre, Margaret Downey, Nick Fish, Annie Laurie Gaylor, and David Tamayo. Co-sponsors and organizers will each light a candle to honor a “Secular Saint” of historic significance.
12:30 PM (PST)/3:30 PM (EST) Guest Speaker Dan Barker: “Adios a Dios” (a journey story presentation)
2:45 PM (PST)/3:45 PM (EST) Honoring Ceremony Reservations are being taken for speakers who want to celebrate the life of a dead loved one. Reserve a 3-5 minute time slot through the following email address:
SecularDayoftheDead@FtSociety.org
John de Lancie, Sasha Sagan, Michael Steven Martin, Zenos Frudakis, and Arlene Rios have reserved honoring ceremony slots.
After the reserved speaking spots conclude, the Zoom spotlighting function will be available for anyone who would like to participate. The screen share function will be enabled so that speakers can display photos of the person being honored.
Zoom logon information is only available to those who pre-register. Register here:
A Spanish Speakers Zoom Room will be available to participants with a mirrored schedule. Prizes will be awarded and mailed to participants whom the co-sponsors determine to have the best Secular Day of the Dead themed clothing, face painting, face mask, hair adornment, and space/room decor.
