A Celebration of Life and Death: Día de Los Muertos @GLAC
Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos (DDLM) in Spanish, is a Mexican holiday that is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. Día de Los Muertos is a vibrant celebration of life rooted in folklore. It is said that on those specific days, the world of living is reunited with that of the dead. Traditionally families create altars and place offerings to honor and welcome their departed family members. This celebration is a way to honor those who have passed away and helps those living make “peace with the eventuality of death by treating it familiarly, without fear and dread” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2022). Day of the Dead was originally celebrated in Mexico and throughout some parts of Latin America. However, due to a rise in visibility throughout pop culture (e.g., Disney’s animated feature film “Coco”), DDLM is now celebrated by many throughout the United States.
2019 DDLM, Alter
History of Latinos and the DDLM event in Glendale
The city of Glendale, California is home to 196,543 residents. It is estimated by the 2020 U.S. Census data that of those residents, 18.2 percent identify as either Latino or Hispanic (Bureau, U. S. C., 2022). Many Latinos immigrated to the United States in search of opportunities, safety, and the promise of the illusive American Dream. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Mexican Americans began trickling into Glendale in the 1960s in search of middle-class quiet, safety and good schools. The pace of the influx picked up in the late 1980s and early 1990s” (Los Angeles Times, 2000). With the Latino population increasing in Glendale, there was a need for a change in the programming and services offered by local public and government agencies.
2019 DDLM, GLAC Staff
The Glendale Library, Arts & Culture hopes to serve its diverse community and continues to make strides towards inclusivity with the Be the Change Series. Be The Change is the library’s promise to build collective understanding of systemic racism, elevate the voices and stories of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and inspire our community to be the change through lectures, exhibits, and programming. In 2017 the City Clerk's office and a group of three members of the Glendale Latino Association, as well as a fellow teacher, asked themselves “What can we do to bring visibility to the Latino community in Glendale?” Although they initially considered organizing a Mexican Independence Day or Cinco de May celebration, they collectively agreed on hosting a Day of the Dead event for the community. The first DDLM event was held at the Pacific Park Library. It attracted an estimated 350 attendees. This was the moment that Librarian and Branch Supervisor Juan Guillermo Garcia knew they had tapped into something special. Following the success of the 2017 event, the DDLM event took off and grew.
2020 DDLM @Artsakh Paseo
In mid to late 2020 people were no longer going out with ease the way they use to. Covid-19 had both seemingly stopped life for many as they knew it, while also claiming the lives of some of the most vulnerable members within our communities. In 2020 Guillermo once again partnered with the DDLM team and made a sculpture of “Tatik-Papik” (in Armenian) or grandmother and grandfather (in English). Guillermo stated that the DDLM team made the sculptures to honor and provide offerings to the Armenian community, who at the time was “grieving the unprovoked attacks by Azerbaijan on the Republic of Artsakh, beginning on September 27, 2020” (Day, 2020). The Armenian community was very grateful for this display of support and recognition on the behalf of the Latino community. This DDLM alter demonstrated the allure and powerful impact of this celebration. DDLM unites people through the display of love and compassion during times of pain and loss.
2019 DDLM, Face painting
Guillermo grew up celebrating Day of the Dead in his native country of Mexico City, Mexico. Although some components of the modern day DDLM celebrations, such as the face painting, are new to him, other aspects remain the same. Guillermo shared that in his home they would create altars and provide offerings for their departed loved ones. He explained that the four elements -Water, Air, Fire, and Earth are all represented in the altars: Water (cups of water are placed in the altars), Fire (provided by candlelight), Air (the rustling of the wind can be seen in the Papel Picado displayed), and Earth (which is represented by the flowers and food). Another crucial element is salt. Salt is placed on the altars or around the ground to purify the souls of those crossing over into the land of the living.
2018 DDLM, Conchas
Traditionally, the offerings left on the alters are cleaned up on November 3rd. Guillermo remembers that as a child he would “always try to taste the food, but when I actually tasted it, there was no flavor”. He was told that the food offerings were devoid of flavor because they had been eaten by the spirits, “it was because the spirits had taken the flavor, they actually eat!” His sentiments encompass the tone of Mexican folklore and culture; it is beautiful, dark, and above all else, comedic.
2017 DDLM @Pacific Park
Through his previous experiences with the DDLM events, Guillermo has seen “people from other cultures come (to this event) without knowing about the tradition, they learn about the meaning, and they believe in this celebration, and they continue to celebrate it. I don’t believe that we die and that’s it, I believe we continue, and this celebration gives us a way to maintain that connection”. As the pandemic that began in 2020 continues, people have experienced and continue to experience an overwhelming amount of grief and loss. Whether people are mourning their loved ones or a way of life that seems so distant now, at this year’s DDLM event people can come together and take a moment to reflect and remember the past, while maintaining optimism and hope for the future.
Please join us for this year’s Day of the Dead celebration at:
Glendale Dia de Los Muertos
Saturday, November 5, 2022 @3-7pm
Glendale Central Library
222 East Harvard Street, Glendale, CA
There will be altars, arts &crafts, face painting, music, and more!
References
Bureau, U. S. C. (n.d.). QuickFacts Glendale city, California. Explore census data. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/
Day, M. (2020, October 31). Conflict in Artsakh. Glendale Library, Arts & Culture. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://www.eglendalelac.org/blog/conflict-in-artsakh
Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Day of the Dead. Britannica School. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Day-of-the-Dead/433071
Los Angeles Times. (2000, June 25). Ethnic friction disturbs peace of Glendale. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jun-25-mn-44684-story.html