BLOGPOST: Día de los Muertos 2016 {Olvera Street in Los Angeles}

I’ve visited El Pueblo Historical Monument and the Mexican Marketplace on Olvera Street once or twice since moving to LA, but I’ve never experienced Day of the Dead festivities that are hosted there. This year, I was determined to go! 💀🎉

For those who don’t know what Day of the Dead / Día de los Muertos is, it’s a religious holiday that is celebrated in Mexico. The holiday also extends beyond to other places around the world by people with Mexican ancestry. There is a large Mexican-American community in southern California, so there were several Day of the Dead gatherings this past week in Los Angeles. Cemeteries are decorated, traditional food is shared, and despite celebrating the dead – it isn’t a depressing holiday. Instead, the memory of your loved one is joyously celebrated and remembered.

I was able to participate and see a number of activities while at Olvera Street, including La Danza de la Muerte by Teatro del Barrio, The Novenario Procession (a Pre-Columbian procession and blessing), Xipe Totec Aztec Dancers, and Teatro del Barrio Theatrical Performance of “November Begins with Tears”. I had my face painted with catrina makeup and also saw several community altars, which were beautifully decorated and paid homage to relatives and friends who passed away. The altars I saw were so colorful and covered in flowers and decorations of the brightest hues, reflecting the jubilant outlook of Day of the Dead.

It was really special to partake in the celebration this year and learn more about what the holiday means. Before this, the extent of my Day of the Dead experience was coloring a picture of a skull and bringing a fruit bowl into our Spanish class party on November 1st. It was always a really abstract idea in a classroom, and I couldn’t grasp the significance of the holiday until now.

The world is so diverse and wonderful, and I love educating myself on different cultures and their traditions. I’ve taken several cultural anthropology classes, and it’s opened my mind so much. One of my favorite things about Los Angeles is that it’s such a culturally diverse city. I feel extremely lucky to live here and have the opportunity to explore and learn new things everyday. In a time of so much racism, intolerance, and hate, I think it’s beautiful to come together as humans and learn more about each other’s origins.

So, my advice to you: Experience a new way of life! Celebrate foreign cultures! Learn a different language! Try a food you’ve never eaten! Life is too short to live in your comfort zone.