“Dia de los Muertos,” or Day of the Dead, is a two-day celebration that takes place every year on November 1st and 2nd. Despite the name, it's not a somber holiday. Instead, it's a celebration of those who have passed, and a reminder that love is everlasting.
In San Diego, hundreds gathered at the Sherman Heights Community Center to celebrate the occasion. Inside, the smell of cempasuchitl, a flower used to celebrate the holiday, and incense filled the air. Elaborate altars showcased photos of loved ones who've passed surrounded by their favorite things.
"It's very emotional to have an altar because you remember all the things he did for me, for my siblings, remembering his voice and how we used to play cards, we used to go out a lot," Cynthia Castillo said next to the altar honoring her father who died three years ago.
She was dressed as a Catrina, an elegant skull, in his honor as well.
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"For us, today is the day that we believe he is going to come back and visit us," she said.
Castillo said altars are meant to be a portal from which the person crosses back into the world of the living to help the person find their way. There are certain items that are traditionally placed on the altar, or ofrenda in Spanish, like flowers, candles and things the deceased used to enjoy.
"The cards that he used to play cards with, fruit, Coca-Cola. He used to drink Coca-Cola," Castilla said describing the things on her altar.
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Typically, altars are set up in people’s homes, but for the past 29 years the Sherman Heights Community Center has served as an alternative for those who don’t have the space. It's also become a place where the community comes together to share the annual tradition.
"I just love it. People celebrate their culture and their loved ones. It just makes me happy to be here," Marfil Estrada.
Apart from altars, there was music, face painting and traditional food. The event also included a procession around the neighborhood representing the last walk families give their loved ones to the cemetery.
"It's a lot of feelings. Sorrow, happiness. It's like a celebration of life," Aida Flores said.
It's celebration to honor those who have passed, but also to allow them back into their loved ones' homes, or “being with them, feeling them," Castillo said, for one more night.
The Sherman Heights Community Center has been celebrating Day of the Dead since 1994.
