805 region this weekend gets into the spirit of Día de los Muertos

By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805

My favorite time of the year is here. While others enjoy such holidays as Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving Day or Christmas, for me there is no better time to both celebrate all things spooky as Halloween and remember those who have left us than Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead.

No, they are not the same events, even though images from one book shows painted Jack-O’-Lanterns on a storefront window in Oaxaca which is selling Pan de Muerto.

No wonder the kids are getting confused.

While occurring at just about the same time, Día de los Muertos traditions include celebrating the souls of ancestors to encourage them to visit to the living. Candles are lit for each family member who has passed. Papel picado banners and sacred copal incense herald the celebration. Golden marigold flowers symbolize the brevity of life and lend a scented pathway to returning spirits. Calaveras (sugar skulls) tempt appetites to return. Día de los Muertos traditionally takes place during the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls Day on Nov. 2.

Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve, is said to originate from the pagan Celtic Samhain festival, a harvest festival that heralds the end of summer. It is traditionally a time of trick or treating and costumes.

So while I will be handing out candy, tending to my graveyard scene in my front yard and then watching some classic horror movies on TV on Halloween, I will also be preparing my family altar /ofrenda at home, complete with offerings of pan dulce, menudo and a small bottle of tequila, light some candles and remember the good times I had with my departed family members.

For those looking to take part in Día de los Muertos celebrations throughout Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, the Mexican Consulate in Oxnard has just released its annual Calendario comunitario de Altares de Muertos 2013.

Whether is a growing Latino population, a growing awareness by advertisers — have you enjoyed your Day of the Dead beer, wine or slick packaged ‘Too Good Gourmet’ festive sugar cookies or Mexican wedding cakes? — there seems to be a tremendous growth of Día de los Muertos events in the region and nation.

Here is a sample of upcoming  Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead events in the region —

Nov. 1:

• A Día de los Muertos celebration at La Casa de La Raza in Santa Barbara
• A Day of the Dead celebration at Wilshire Health & Community Services in San Luis Obispo
• A Día de los Muertos celebration in Goleta
• A Día de los Muertos celebration at the Pacific View Mall in Ventura
• Displays of altars / ofrendas by los clubs de migrantes de Oaxaca, Michocán, Jalisco y Guanajuato from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2 at the Mexican Consulate in Oxnard

Nov. 2:

• A Día de los Muertos celebration in Arroyo Grande
• A ‘Free Family Day: Sugar Skulls to Marigolds’ program at the Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard
• The Museum of Ventura County’s annual ‘Night of the Living, Day of the Dead Celebration
• A Day of the Dead altar at Studio Channel Islands featuring the contribution of 100 school children
• Día de los Muertos poetry readings by Santa Maria resident Enedina Castañeda at the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo in Arroyo Grande, at the Dana Adobe in Nipomo and at the MASCARA (Mexican American Scholarship, Cultural and Recreation Association) in Santa Maria
• A Día de los Muertos celebration at Downtown Sol in Oxnard
• The annual Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead celebration at Conejo Mountain Funeral Home, Memorial Park and Crematory in Camarillo

Nov. 3:

• Day of the Dead community events at the Museum of Ventura County
• The Día de los Muertos MASCARA (Mexican American Scholarship, Cultural and Recreation Association) celebration through Nov. 3 in Santa Maria

Please check the links to these calendar listings on our website and the Mexican Consulate’s  Calendario comunitario de Altares de Muertos 2013.

And please celebrate responsibly. We are in no hurry to place your image on next year’s altar / ofrenda.

This week I was reminded of the thin veil between life and death shortly after a drive we made from Tucson to Phoenix. About a quarter of a mile away an oppressive wall of dust came roaring out of the desert near Picacho Peak. We managed to pass by safely, but within an hour zero visibility led to a 19-vehicle pileup, leaving three dead and 12 other injured.

So as I celebrate Día de los Muertos this year, I will also light a candle and say a prayer to those who lost their lives on that highway and give thanks for giving us safe passage on that terrible day.

— Frank X. Moraga is editor/publisher of Amigos805. He has served as business editor, director of diversity and general manager of a bilingual publication at the Ventura County Star, and as a reporter in the community editions of the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Daily News.

Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcome comments on stories appearing in Amigos805 and on issues impacting the community. Comments must relate directly to stories published in Amigos805, no spam please. We reserve the right to remove or edit comments. Full name, city required. Contact information (telephone, email) will not be published. Please send your comments directly to fmoraga@amigos805.com