By Selene Sorto
Staff Writer
The fun doesn’t have to end with Halloween. On Nov. 1 and 2, El Dia De Los Muertos is celebrated.The Mexican holiday is celebrated by, not only Mexican-American families, but also people of other cultures around the U.S. and Latin America. The annual tradition celebrates passed loved ones. Here in Bakersfield, we have our very own growing tradition for Dia De Los Muertos: Altares de Familia, at the Bakersfield Museum of Art.
The belief is that grieving and sadness would insult the dead. Therefore, families embrace death, just as another natural part of life, and they celebrate the dead through festivities. Families visit the dead at cemeteries to decorate their loved ones’ resting spaces. They also bring their loved ones their favorite foods and drinks.
During this festival, the dead are awakened to celebrate with the living with lively Mariachi music and favorite activities. Throughout the earlier part of the two days, it’s usually a lively event with laughter and reminiscing of good memories with their passed loved ones. At twilight though, it can be a bittersweet feeling when candles are lit all over the cemetery.
Alexa Romero, a 19-year-old business administration sophomore at CSUB, had very traditional celebrations growing up.
“Before I came to college, we used to go to this cemetery in LA, and they would have like a festival. If someone had someone that was buried there, we would go around their tomb and just bring out the good memories. It’s also really neat ‘cause you see the different ways others celebrate or the crafts they do.”
Her father, Benigno Lara, directs a scary play at their church to educate the kids and community about it.
“He encourages people to bring gifts, food and flowers to the dead.” Often times, these foods and gifts will include sweets such as the infamous sugar skulls. It’s a way to sweeten the bitterness of the idea of death. Cristhian Soto, 19, a freshman at Bakersfield College, remembers these sugar skulls and experiencing the festivities as a kid in Mexico.
“ We would buy the chocolate skulls; those were a tradition. Then, wewould head to the cemetery, and I remember playing soccer with the kids while all the parents yelled at us for not doing what we were told.”
If you’d like to experience a little of this culture for yourself, you won’t have to go too far for it. For its fifth year, the Bakersfield Museum of Art will be holding the Altares de Familia on Nov. 2 from 4 to 9 p.m. There will be altars set up by local families, a traditional Aztec processional and blessing, live mariachi and Mexican folk dancing, authentic Mexican cuisine, sugar skull decorating, face painting, crafts, calaveras and student altar competitions with cash prizes, Día de los Muertos merchandise and vendor booths. For only $1 per person over 6 years of age, you can experience a culturally fulfilling and joyful event.
