SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Latino Center for Art and Culture hosted one of many Altar Days to give the community a place to create altars for loved ones ahead of Día de los Muertos.
The event was a partnership between many organizations to ensure everyone has a safe place to enjoy art and get ready for the season.
Everything needed to create an altar was provided at the event where people also learned how to do it for the first time by veterans making them for decades.
“We had our first procession in 1975 at Hiram Johnson High School and all the people coming through the neighborhood would come and yell at us saying it was witchcraft and ‘get out of our neighborhood’ and it's not witchcraft, it's nothing to do with that at all. It's a procession to recognize and honor our deceased loved one,” said workshop leader Lupe Portillo.
She’s been making altars for 50 years, teaching people of all ages and backgrounds important facts like how surrounding an altar with marigold helps spirits travel through.
Jorge Quintana, communication director for the Latino Arts Center, says events like these give him an opportunity to reconnect with his heritage.
"For me dia de los Muertos is a time of connecting the ancestry of someone who didn't grow up making altars. This is a great time for me to learn from elders to say how do you build an altar and why you include these specific elements,” he said.
Miniature altars were also made out of shoe boxes by community members looking to honor loved ones.
Plaster mask making was also on display. showcasing the process of covering faces with small strips to make something beautiful.
Four community altars can be found Nov. 3-5 at Panteon de Sacramento where everyone is invited to commemorate someone and learn more about celebrations.
A procession at Saint Mary’s Cemetery will be held at noon Nov. 2 followed by a mass at 3 p.m. and ceremonial dance at the cemetery, open to all.
Read in Spanish: Centro Latino de Arte y Cultura organiza evento para prepararse para el Día de Muertos
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