Día de los Muertos goes back about 3000 years, sometime near the time of the Aztecs. After five centuries of colonization, this tradition has stayed strong and is widely celebrated around the world.

Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican celebration of all souls. The celebration starts on November 1st with the commemoration of the deceased children (Dide los Inocentes) and continues into November 2nd with the commemoration of the deceased adults (Dide los Muertos). During this holiday, people clean and decorate cemeteries and the streets. Common decorations usually include flowers, candles and the famous sugar skulls.

People who have heard of Día de los Muertos, usually think it is a huge festival. It isn’t. There are actually very few festivities. This can be a solemn occasion, and people usually spend the two days repairing graves and visiting cemeteries to pay their respects to their deceased loved ones. Others choose to embrace the life their loved ones had and celebrate the way they lived.

On the second day of Día de los Muertos, it is common to place favorite objects, such as foods or games, on the altar. This is a way to show that we are celebrating the remembrance of our loved ones’ lives.

The Hollywood Forever cemetery celebrates annually with an event that provides an authentic venue to learn about the culture.

This holiday is important to the Alvarez family. It’s been a little over a year since a cousin, Alejandro, passed. A family friend, Michelle Salas, mourned the passing of her husband Paul.