Overview:
Three Central Valley community members transformed their at-home traditions for Día de los Muertos, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day into public events and altars to inspire others in honoring cultural practices and remembering loved ones.
Around this time of year, students at Leavenworth Elementary School create mini ofrendas on canvases, hand-make papel picado and cempasúchil flowers, and share stories about their loved ones who have passed away for Día de los Muertos, a traditional Mexican holiday.
The celebration at Leavenworth began when Martha Soto, a fifth-grade teacher of eight years, introduced her Día de los Muertos traditions in the classroom, teaching students how to honor loved ones by creating an ofrenda—an altar derived from the Spanish word for “offering.”
This year, the entire school participated in a larger ofrenda located in the cafeteria, where students and staff brought photos, offerings such as glasses of water or food, and items representing their loved ones.
Soto moved from Michoacán, Mexico, to Fresno in 2004. She and her family celebrate Día de los Muertos over seven days. While most of her family lives in Los Angeles, Soto stays connected with them through daily phone calls during the early days of the celebration before flying out to join them for Nov. 1 and 2.
In her classroom, Soto spends five days teaching students about Día de los Muertos, focusing on cultural understanding rather than religion. Through integrated reading and writing activities, she highlights the holiday’s indigenous roots, celebrates cultural diversity, and addresses misconceptions.
“Every culture has their own way of celebrating our ancestors, and it’s beautiful to see the different ways that each culture celebrates their ancestors,” said Soto. “I think all of us are interconnected, and we are all going to go through this journey.”
A Día de los Muertos fair honoring Latino farmworkers and queer individuals
Rudy Aguilar, whose pronouns are he/they and is a case manager at The Source LGBT+ Center, is organizing the center’s first Día de los Muertos resource fair and altar. This project allows Aguilar to share his cultural journey with the community, incorporating traditions they’ve embraced over time.
As the son of immigrant parents, Aguilar said he grew up Americanized and wasn’t raised with strong cultural observances. His mother, who moved from Ensenada, Mexico at 11, retained some traditions, but Día de los Muertos was not celebrated. In 2020, Aguilar began honoring the holiday by creating altars for his late grandmother and a friend, a practice that helped them reconnect with his roots.
“For me, being Chicano means recognizing that you live on the borderlands physically and spiritually,” Aguliar said. “Part of healing as a Chicano is reclaiming your culture, that could be everything from improving your Spanish, learning about the history of Mexico, learning about the regions that your parents and grandparents come from, and then learning to celebrate things, and that includes celebrating Dia de los Muertos.”
Aguilar’s altars incorporate elements like a serape, a long colorful blanket-like shawl, photos, and personal touches such as sopa de fideo, his grandmother’s specialty. Over the years, he’s evolved their altars with framed photos and traditional decorations, creating a sacred space that connects him to their loved ones.
After moving to Visalia, Aguilar felt disconnected from their traditions, inspiring him to bring this event to the community. The fair will blend cultural celebration with sexual health outreach, particularly for Latino farmworkers and queer individuals. He hopes to dispel misconceptions about farmworkers’ attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people, emphasizing that queer identities exist within these communities, even if not always visible.
The event will honor queer lives, with the altar remaining up through Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20 to remember transgender individuals lost to anti-trans violence.
Community members are invited to bring framed photos and offerings for the altar. The center will provide additional frames, candles, and traditional foods like tamales, ponche, or champurrado. The altar will feature vibrant colors, including blue and pink for trans lives, alongside traditional Día de los Muertos colors and decorations.
The event, taking place on Nov. 8 from noon to 6 p.m., will offer free rapid HIV and syphilis testing and other community resources.
All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day
Similar to Día de los Muertos, every parish in the Fresno Roman Catholic Diocese celebrates All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
All Saints’ Day, observed on Nov. 1, honors all saints and martyrs. The following day, All Souls’ Day, is dedicated to remembering and praying for the souls of the faithful departed, helping them in their journey through purgatory.
Chandler Marquez, director of communications for the Diocese of Fresno, noted that this time of year presents a “great opportunity for us as Catholics to evangelize and demonstrate the impact of our faith on souls.”
“The ofrendas and Día de los Muertos coming together with All Souls’ Day presents a good opportunity for someone who hasn’t attended church,” said Marquez. “They might join my family celebration, where we do a quick prayer and talk about our loved ones. This could be an opportunity for them to step into the church and deepen their faith and relationship with God.”
Saints hold special significance in the Catholic faith; Catholics don’t pray to saints for worship but ask for their intercession. For example, many pray to St. Jude, the patron saint of impossible causes, for strength in difficult times. Both All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days offer a chance to celebrate life, death, and the belief in eternal life with God.
Marquez said that “remembering and praying for the intercession of our loved ones is a vital tradition for Catholics, especially within this diocese, given the strong Latino culture throughout the valley.”
He emphasized that while people often think of those who have passed, occasions like All Souls’ Day provide a special moment to reflect on their lives and their relationship with God.
Marquez noted that creating ofrendas offers a healing experience, helping people navigate their grief. Sharing stories about their loved ones on the altar allows them to connect, cope, and progress through the grieving process.
For Marquez, this topic is personal as his family gathers every year around this time. They often travel with their altar, and those who accompany them join for dinner one night. They spend about 20 minutes praying around the altar, remembering their loved ones, and commemorating their souls.
St. John Cathedral will bring the community together to honor saints and loved ones who have passed. The festival will happen on Nov. 2 from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m with food, games, music and a community altar.
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