![]() A concept or a person is dead when you can no longer remember the name of that concept or the name of that person," said Clark.Īltars are traditionally set up in homes and sometimes surround headstones in cemeteries. "That was the other element of the indigenous world. Each year, on November 1 and 2, people will gather around altars to celebrate and speak the names of those who have passed on. The Marigold flowers line the edges of the altar to guide souls back to earth.ĭia de los Muertos has become a fusion between the customs of indigenous and Mexican cultures. Wind is represented by paper and earth represented by fruits and vegetables. "A little container of water to refresh the soul as they come back," explained Clark. The altar includes fire – flames from candles to light the way. So if you're a 'catrina', which means you're a female skeleton, you will have your face painted with your eye makeup on," she said. The skulls on the altar speak to who a person was. It’s not meant to be morbid but rather a celebration of life. It’s an altar built for the dead and is a centerpiece of Dia De Los Muertos celebrations. Different elements help guide the souls.Yes, you are loved you will never be forgotten always in our hearts,” Snow Bear said.What exactly are ofrendas? What do they represent for Día de los Muertos? A simple explanation and why they are important is below.Įllen Riojas Clark, a professor of culture studies, peels away the different layers of “ofrendas”. ![]() “We are going to take all of these names of the ancestors that are loved, and we’re going to put them in a cauldron and light them, and send them up to the Sky World, so that they are all acknowledged in the Sky World. Following the La Catrina and El Catrín pageant, a medicine woman with the Apache tribe, Leanne Snow Bear, and members of Kalpulli Ketzalkoatl Ehecatl, an Aztec dance group, performed a blessing ceremony for the ofrenda as the sun went down. Throughout the day, visitors left handwritten notes with names of loved ones and brief messages at a public ofrenda placed on a long picnic table in the park. “There was a huge Mexican miner population, and I think it’s really nice to honor that part of our culture.” In Murphys, everybody thinks of the Irish miners, and the Mexican community kind of gets overlooked,” said Susan Lyneis, of Murphys, who stood behind the bar of the tasting room. “It’s nice that the Day of the Dead brings some of the original culture of town. The Hovey Winery set up an ofrenda for founder Chuck Hovey, who passed away earlier this year. “It took awhile to get here, but it was well worth it.” At first, I was kind of hesitant, because this is my culture, and I didn’t think it was going to be as on-point, but I really enjoy it. “(It’s my) first time here, and I love that it’s true. Nearby, Jasmine Gomez-Zavala, of Tracy, was also selling handmade traditional crafts. I just think that Murphys does it right.” “They have the Catrina contest, Mexican music, and it’s just so rich in culture. They get what this celebration is all about,” she said. “The weather’s always fantastic and I think people get it. McHone said that it was her second year celebrating in Murphys. “It’s all things that are related either to Frida Kahlo, Día de Los Muertos or our Mexican culture.” “Everything is handmade by me – handsewn, hand-created, handcrafted,” she said. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”Īs Rondalla Presencia de Amor played traditional music from the gazebo in the park, Rose McHone, of Twain Harte, stood behind a table filled with handmade crafts. They will always live in our hearts, so they are never truly dead,” she said. “Today of all days, there are no coincidences. When the child had died, Grijalva had made a memorial video for her using the song “Greensleeves.”Īs Grijalva was putting the finishing touches on her altar, a musician behind her began playing the tune. A photo of a baby girl was placed on her altar. Grijalva said that she was sure she had already been visited by lost loved ones earlier in the day. When you’re forgotten, that’s your true death,” she said. Your natural death, when you’re buried, and when you’re forgotten. You celebrate your ancestors, your families, your friends – the people closest to you,” she said. 1 is Día de los Santos – that’s for the babies – and Nov. ![]()
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