How to celebrate Día de los Muertos, and Southern California events

The end of October is near, and the celebration and decor we’ve all been waiting for is here — Día de los Muertos.

I’m not a Halloween girly, so I love how Los Angeles and Latino cultures light up their spaces with ofrendas to honor their dead during the holidays. It’s also a chance to buy things that aren’t always available year round, like pan de muerto, marigolds and sugar skulls.

I recently came across TikToks of non-Latino folks asking if they could set up an ofrenda for their loved ones (particularly their animal babies). The answer, like many commenters suggested, is that Day of the Dead is universal and is a celebration anyone could participate in — with respect. By the way, the Indigenous tradition is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, just to put things in a global perspective.

Here are some resources as you attend Día de los Muertos celebrations and commemorate.

The basics

It’s definitely not Mexican Halloween, which is what irritates many observers when they hear folks talk about it.

Ofelia Esparza and her daughter Rosanna Esparza Ahrens (and dog Maxie) pose in front of the ofrenda they built for Día De Los Muertos

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Olive Bieni

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LAist

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Día de los Muertos comes from a mix of Indigenous Mexican practices dating back 3,500 years and Catholic traditions connected to All Souls Day. The celebration connects the living and the dead through a portal (an altar). Many families pass down certain customs for their celebration down to each generation.

That’s how master altarista Ofelia Esparza learned to create some of the most iconic displays in L.A. and the world — through her mother.

"I came to realize the importance of that aspect, but it also carries our identity as a culture," Esparza told me back in 2022. "I want to honor these people, not how they died, but how they were loved, how their parents, their family loved them."

Each region in Mexico, and other parts of the world, have different ways to celebrate, whether it’s a festival, parade, a commemoration at a graveyard or a party at home. There are also elaborate traditional flower crowns, catrina-style face painting and attire that elevates the ambiance of the celebration.

When do celebrations start?

Nov. 1 and 2 are the days that are most well known for the dead to return to Earth and connect with their living family. But there are practices that include earlier days in October for those who died a certain way or based on their age.

Oct. 27 has been touted as the day pets reenter the living portal. It was originally devoted to the Xoloitzcuintli, a breed of a popular dog in Mexico, but has been adjusted to include all pets.

Building the altar

The altar pays homage to your deceased loved ones, and it requires some simple, but thoughtful things for their welcome. The altar can be as elaborate or simple as you’d like it to be.

Traditionally, there are three tiers to the altar:

• Top level features photos of loved ones, paired with images of saints. 
• The middle tier is packed with their favorite food items — sugar skulls, pan de muerto, mole, wine or liquor and more.
• On the bottom level you place practical items like water, towels (or clothing) and candles so they are guided to their ofrenda. 

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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You can’t forget the copal or cempasúchil. It is said the flowers attract the spirits of the departed, helping those celebrating connect with their ancestors.

Marigolds are native to Mexico, and the musky sweet scent and the bright color helps the spirits find their way. Andi Xoch, Latinx with Plants shop, has been including them in her shop throughout the years for this purpose.

Andi Xoch in her Boyle Heights shop Latinx with Plants

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Brian De Los Santos

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LAist

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"Giving them that extra guidance is important, knowing that even though they are past ... we can still somehow feel them through their spirit or their memory," Xoch told me last year. "Holding on to these traditions is one way to celebrate us — a unique culture, but also (to) remind folks that although we are long gone, we are not forgotten."

On the practical side, Xoch noted, they last a long time without much maintenance, making them a good choice for altars. They are also great fly-repellants and can keep mosquitoes at bay, especially while you display food.

Events

What’s beautiful about living in Southern California is that you can immerse yourself in different cultures. There are spaces that allow submissions for their own public altares like the L.A. Zoo or the L.A. Times’ digital ofrenda.

Here are more events that celebrate Día de los Muertos:

• Site & Sounds: Día de los Muertos Family Day at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes
• Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos
• Día de Los Muertos: Magic of the Altares (City of Santa Ana)
• Dia de los Hambrientos (Celebrating Dia de los Muertos with food and music [Anaheim]) 
• Día de Los Muertos with Dudamel