A collection of the deceased's favorite foods and drinks are a staples in ofrendas.
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Veronica Lechuga
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for LAist
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Topline:
In celebration of the holiday, LAist asked readers: What is a memory of a loved one you would like to share for Día de los Muertos? We heard from people across Southern California about those favorite moments, and this digital ofrenda is meant to highlight those memories.
Why now: Día de los Muertos is a time when people celebrate and remember dead family members, close friends, pets and even strangers.
Why it matters: The holiday holds a special place for many people as a way to grieve those who have passed and keep their memory alive. People usually celebrate with an ofrenda that has photos of their loved ones, their favorite meals, marigolds, pan de muerto, sugar skulls and other items that have meaning.
Read on... for the memories LAist readers shared about their loved ones.
Today is Día de los Muertos. It’s a time when people celebrate the lives of those who've passed on and remember family members, close friends, pets and even strangers.
The holiday holds a special place for many people as a way to grieve those who have died and keep their memory alive. People usually celebrate with an ofrenda that has photos of their loved ones, their favorite meals, marigolds, pan de muerto, sugar skulls and other items that have meaning to those being remembered.
In celebration of the holiday, LAist asked readers: What is a memory of a loved one you would like to share for Día de los Muertos? We heard from people across Southern California about those favorite moments, and this digital ofrenda is meant to highlight those memories.
Remembering loved ones
Joanne Pineda of Monterey Park has made a tradition of celebrating Día de los Muertos with her family. She said she’ll always remember the time when her dad asked her mom to dance to Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” in the living room.
“Thinking about it now really brings me tears because it just brought them so much joy. It brought them close together,” Pineda said. “For me to be there, to see that, how special it was to them I just think about it all the time.”
Joanne Pineda's parent's photo sits on an ofrenda to remember their lives.
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Courtesy of Joanne Pineda
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Joanne Pineda currently has an ofrenda in her home where she has photos of her parents, family members and a pet who have since passed away.
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Courtesy of Joanne Pineda
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She currently has her own ofrenda where she has photos of her late parents, family members and a pet. She plays "Harvest Moon" for her parents every year on Día de los Muertos and hopes they’re still dancing.
Araceli Guillen remembers her father, Antonino Raúl Guillén Álvarez, who passed away earlier this year. “Papa te extranaremos mucho”
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Courtesy Araceli Guillen
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For Dia de los Muertos, Araceli Guillén-Tuerpe is remembering her father — Antonino Raúl Guillén Álvarez — who died earlier this year. Her father came from Mexico to the U.S. about 50 years ago and settled in the San Fernando Valley. He instilled in his children the need to get an education, but Guillén-Tuerpe said her father always filled her childhood with music. He played the guitar and violin and sang all the time, especially classic mariachi songs like “Cielito Lindo” by Pedro Infante.
“He was in a retirement music group, so he was playing music until the very end with his group,” said Guillén-Tuerpe.
One of her fondest memories of her father happened during the pandemic. She was celebrating her daughter’s 10th birthday over Zoom, but the distance didn't keep her father from making the day special when he hopped on the call and sang “Las Mañanitas".
Sharing memories of family and friends
"My Father loved the flower, Marigolds. Back in our country, when I was a little girl, my Father always brought home bunches of Marigolds. He then divided them into smaller groups, trimmed them and arranged those flowers into vases, and put them on the altar, prayed under Buddha and ancestors. When we settled in [the] USA, he was very happy to see those flowers again. Marigolds brought him back to Vietnam, I guess. When he was old. He could not drive anymore, he always told me to find and get him these flowers until he passed away, 5 years ago. Now whenever I see the flowers I miss my father very much. I got some, put them in a vase, and put them on the altar, for my dear father hoping and wishing that his soul is still with me, from above [he] would be pleased to see his favorite flowers, Marigolds…" — Anh Suong Nguyen
“My mother had a very unique laugh, I miss it daily.” — Pilar Reynaldo
“My husband was a sweet gentle man who played a mean violin. He left much too soon.” — Liz
“My dear friend Terri Villa-McDowell passed away last week. She was a passionate advocate for justice and was the force behind LA vs. Hate, a multi-agency effort by LA County Human Relations Commission, 211LA and a host of nonprofits, including the Western Justice Center, to raise consciousness about hate crimes, support survivors and build bridges to foster pluralism and democracy. She was also a thought partner, source of inspiration and cheerleader for all of us in the conflict resolution field.” — Elissa Barrett
“Best memory of my mom was taking her to the Mariachi Festival at the Hollywood Bowl the year that Antonio Villaraigosa was elected mayor. He made a surprise appearance at the concert and as he made his way in, he walked in front of our box. My mom instinctively reached out for him and told him in Spanish "Usted es mi gallo". which translates loosely to “you are my rooster” but means more like he was her champion. He was very touched by her comment and kissed her on the cheek. My mom was glowing. Still brings tears to my eyes.” — Claudia Cardenas
“My mother-in-law recently passed away. She loved her garden and would happily wander around caring for the beautiful plants. It was one of her favorite things to do. I will always remember her in the garden.” — Clarissa Meecham
Sheena Kadi said this November will be two years since her chosen mom — Lucille Ruibal Rivera — died. On Kadi’s ofrenda, there are photos of Lucille, souvenirs from their travels together, candles, her favorite bottle of tequila, a pair of sunglasses and a feather from a hat she wore often.
“All these feathers kept falling out of it. So everywhere she went where she wore it, she would leave a trail of feathers behind,” Kadi said.
Honoring your ancestors isn't just about blood family, but also chosen family.
Sheena Kadi says this was her chosen mom’s favorite photo.
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Courtesy Sheena Kadi
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Kadi met Lucille on Christmas Eve of 2018 after Kadi’s family had disowned her because she's queer. Kadi’s friend invited her to spend the holiday at their house. Lucille, her friend’s mother, asked Kadi why she was spending the holiday there, and not with her family. When Kadi explained what happened, Lucille immediately hugged her and said, “You are my daughter and if anyone has questions, they can come and talk to me.”
Kadi remembers Lucille as someone who was bold, a healthcare leader, a Chicana artist and a fierce advocate for her community, including the LGBTQ+ community.
“She used to say if you have a seat at the table, be sure to pull up a few more chairs and bring more folks with you,” Kadi said.
She wants Lucille to know that she’s still carrying the lessons she taught her.
“Honoring your ancestors isn’t just about blood family, but also chosen family, I'm going to do everything that I can to continue to honor and remember her," Kadi added.
Mario Aguilera is remembering his mom, Amanda, this Dia de los Muertos.
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Courtesy of Mario Aguilera
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For Día de los Muertos, Mario Aguilera is remembering his mom, Amanda, who recently died. She came to Los Angeles in the 1980s from El Salvador and was a proud Angelino for more than 40 years.
Aguilera, who grew up in Boyle Heights, remembers his mom being a hard worker, having cleaned houses for more than 20 years. She’d frequently ride the bus to and from work all around the city, and he remembers going on bus rides with her — sometimes for work, sometimes to find things to do around town.
One of my favorite memories is going up Griffith Park area, it was early in the morning, very foresty, a bunch of trees. We turned the corner, and I see deer eating grass and the leaves, and I’m like this is magical.
Aguilera said his mom taught him the importance of exploring, getting out of your comfort zone and discovering new places and communities.
“It’s one of my favorite memories I have of her,” he said.
Remembering loved pets
Mischa Armada is celebrating the life of her 9-year-old Frenchie, Butters, who died Oct. 16. Butters was her best friend, constant companion and dog son who traveled with her after she got him in the Philippines. A memory she has of Butters was when they visited Mexico City in 2022 during Día de los Muertos and dressed him up as a little taco to visit the Zócalo. He was the only dog in costume that day.
Mischa Armada and her nine and a half year old Frenchie spent months in Mexico City in 2022, and celebrated Día de los Muertos at the Zócalo.
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Courtesy Mischa Armada
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“As we were walking along the Zócalo, all we heard was ‘Mira! Hola perrito!’ and people were just taking photos,” Armada said. “He was loving every minute of that.”
Families approached asking if they could take pictures with Butters, or Mantequilla as he was called there. She said he smiled the whole time.
Remembering pets who have passed
“Tiki was the best foster fail that helped us get through the pandemic. We miss him everyday!” — Kathrine
“My dog Hobbes had incredibly selective hearing. Any time I opened up the fridge, grabbed a stick of string cheese and began to slowly open the plastic packaging, I would close the fridge door to see that he had somehow silently appeared out of nowhere, sitting prettily, awaiting his morsel of cheese.” — Marisa Schwartz
“My miniature poodle Audrey looked like a little lamb, did a quirky handstand when she peed, and walked backwards to me after fetching the ball. She snoozed secretly in a nondescript bag in the finest restaurants, and in movies, plays, concerts, museums and trains. She lay on top of me when the dentist gave me a filling or when the doctor gave me a shot. She was my sweetest, funniest, curly best friend. Who will always be a good girl? Audrey.” — Nancy Sullivan
Amy Breyer is celebrating her cat, Dwayne "the cat" Johnson, this Día de los Muertos. She said Dwane was “very much a little person in a fur suit.” She said Dwayne, who died Oct. 17, would greet them with a "meow-moh" that she swears he was trying to imitate the sound of "hello" when he walked into a room.
Amy Breyer is remembering her cat, Dwayne "the cat" Johnson, who passed away on Oct. 17.
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Courtesy of Amy Breyer
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She said Dwayne would sit on a kitchen chair to keep them company while they ate lunch and stand on her laptop when he decided it was time for Breyer to stop working for the day.
“We feel privileged that we could give him the foundation to become his fully-realized little furry self,” said Bryer in an obit about Dwayne, “even though right now there’s a Dwayne-shaped hole in our hearts.”
