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The annual celebration of Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is anything but a somber affair. Instead, it’s a joyful tribute to loved ones who have died, a way to remember and connect with them through food, music, dancing and community. The holiday is observed Nov. 1 and 2, but don’t let the name or the date on the calendar mislead you: This is not related to Halloween. Día de los Muertos has its own history and tradition, centered around sharing memories of the deceased and recognizing death as part of the cycle of life.
The celebration is rooted in a blend of cultures. When long-practiced Indigenous Mexican traditions of honoring the dead merged with Spanish Catholic observances of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, Día de los Muertos was born. In recognition of the day, expect festivities, brightly colored papel picado (paper decorations), burning candles and offerings to the deceased placed lovingly on ofrendas, or altars. As part of its mission to educate and offer cultural enrichment, The Latin Ballet of Virginia breaks down the history of the holiday on its website at latinballet.com.
For America DeLoach, founder of Salsas Don Sebastian and the Latino Farmers Market, held at Rockwood Park in Chesterfield, Día de los Muertos wasn’t present in her Venezuelan upbringing. But after traveling with her husband throughout his native Mexico, she was struck by the beauty and respect of the tradition. In Oaxaca and Guadalajara, she experienced firsthand the creativity of the altars, the laughter mixed with remembrance and the sense of joy that surrounds the day.
“I want to make sure that people understand that it is a day of respect,” DeLoach says. “It is a day of remembering that special person that you want to keep in your heart. I think it’s very important for people not to confuse it with Halloween. It’s about respect. It’s about tradition.”
On Nov. 1, the Latino Farmers Market will host its season finale, and, with support from the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, DeLoach will create a community altar where visitors are invited to display photos of their loved ones. The market opens at 8 a.m., with mariachi music starting at 10 a.m.
“For Mexicans, this is a celebration of the life of the person,” says Yadira Carrillo of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a day where you remember what they meant to you, to keep your memory alive, and also to pass stories to the little ones about people that have passed away. It’s just a celebration of their lives.”
DeLoach says she will be honoring her mother, who died in 2011. “She was a warrior,” DeLoach says. “She was always about rights and justice and very much a person that united people, an educator by heart, a traveler. … I don’t think there’s a day that has passed that I do not mention her. For me, it’s a way of keeping her alive.”
As for Día de los Muertos, it wasn’t a part of her mother’s Venezuelan culture, but “I think she would be very proud of what I have built with the Latino Farmers Market,” DeLoach says. “It’s a place of community.”
