SoCal families honor loved ones who have passed with Día de Muertos altars, ofrendas

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- El Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican tradition and celebration of the lives of those we love who have passed away. One of the traditions is to build an altar or ofrenda adorned with cempasúchil flowers (marigolds), photos of family members and friends who have passed away and their favorite foods and drinks.

"This year my wife and I are honoring her father, my father-in-law, who passed away in 2021. And then we're also honoring my grandmother. Her portrait is being worked on right now by my dad. My wife Omega, she really had a strong connection to her dad, and you know, just honoring him was really important to both of us," said Gian Flores Norte, one of many altar artists working on their ofrendas in Downtown Los Angeles.

"We always talked about music, he always played music. My grandma loved 'I love Lucy,' my grandma loved flowers and things. So I just want to really instill what they love, or what we remember them to love the most," Norte said.

The tradition of celebrating the Day of the Dead began more than 3,000 years ago in Mexico with the Aztecs, and is a time to remember those we love who have passed away but still live in our hearts and minds. The holiday is celebrated, not just in Mexico, but also largely in Southern California.

"Since I lost my mom, it's really taken a new outlook on what it means to celebrate those who left us, and Día de los Muertos is such a beautiful tradition and just gives, at least me, the moment to really just reflect," said Valentina Ramirez, another altar artist.

For those who believe, el Día de Muertos is a day when the barrier between the world of the living and the spirit world is lifted to allow our loved ones to join us for just one more day.

"Doing this for me was a very important way to process my grief so that I could continue moving from my own family. You know, make sure that you take in the stories that each person has offered. Really identify what those stories were and who those people were so we don't forget," said Consuelo G. Flores, curator and community altar designer.

"This is what it's all about. You see who that person was, you see beauty in it. You know, death is a part of life but you just see the beauty in life after death also, 'cause that's what we're showing you. We're showing you the beauty in life after death," Norte said.

El Día de Muertos is typically celebrated in early November, with children honored on November 1 while the adults are honored on November 2.