Tragedy creates a need for emotional release and healing, and over the past 3,000 years or so, Hispanic culture has evolved an mechanism for meeting those needs.
It’s called El Dia de los Muertos, an annual observance meant to remember and cherish loved ones that we’ve lost. In the wake of the North Bay wildfires, which claimed 42 lives and displaced tens of thousands, the timing seems opportune this year.
“Death does not discriminate, and the fire did not discriminate. This is something we all have in common,” said Luz Navarette, one of the founders of Santa Rosa’s Dia de los Muertos event in Courthouse Square, now in its 17th year.
“This tradition is celebrated Nov. 1 and 2 for families to honor their loved ones who have crossed over,” said Navarette, 66, a retired Santa Rosa Junior College counselor. Plenty of Latino families still celebrate Halloween in the usual way with costumes, candy and trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, but the two days that follow take on a different tone.
Families are invited to bring mementos of loved ones to place on a communal altar, and share their stories and memories. The event returns to Old Courthouse Square next Wednesday and Thursday after a one-year hiatus because of the renovation of the square last year.
Other Dia de los Muertos celebrations around the county this weekend include candlelight processions and festivals with live music, dancing and food.
The Courthouse Square event began in 2001, shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people and included the destruction of the north and south towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.
Source: pressdemocrat
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