Día de los Muertos in Fresno: Here’s where you can honor deceased with altars, dancing, food
Día de los Muertos is not the Mexican equivalent of Halloween and it’s not a costume party.
Yes, Día de los Muertos includes gatherings, skulls, sugar and (sometimes) costumes, but the significance and traditions of the Mexican holiday are different.
Here’s what you need to know about Día de los Muertos and where you can participate in festivities in the San Joaquin Valley.
What to know about Día de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican tradition that honors the memory of deceased loved ones.
It originated in pre-Hispanic times, when Indigenous Mexican communities held rituals that honored deities representing death and their loved ones that died. When somebody passed away, their community hosted a ceremony to guide their spirit to Mictlán, the eternal resting place for the dead.
The ritual has transcended time, surviving the Spanish conquest, international invasions and religious turmoil on Mexican grounds. Though some of the decorations and food have evolved as time has passed, ancestral traditions still come back to life on Nov. 1 and 2.
As part of the tradition, families create altars decorated with photos of the deceased, as well as items and food they liked.
Altar and festivity decorations typically include:
Cempasúchil, or marigolds, since it is believed they attract the warmth and light from sun rays to guide the spirits to their altars. (That’s why the petal bridges glow in “Coco,” the Disney movie.)
Papel picado, or perforated paper banners, where the paper color and design can represent a person’s life story and cause of death.
Salt, to keep the souls of those traveling to and from Mictlán pure during their journeys.
Candles, to light the way for the souls of those remembered to meet with their families again. Each candle on an altar can also represent a family member or loved one a family wishes to remember.
Skulls, made from sugar, ceramics, wood or paper. They represent the transcendence of life and death from the physical to the spiritual.
Food, specifically pan de muerto, a sugary bread with hints of orange essence. (It’s so, so good!)
The significance of the decorations — and ways of celebrating — can vary, since Día de los Muertos is an ancestral celebration that’s widespread across multiple Mexican cultures.
After all, our loved ones were all unique in their own ways, and so are our celebrations of them.
La Abeja, a newsletter written for and by California Latinos
Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter centered around Latino issues in California.
Celebrate Día de los Muertos in Fresno and nearby
For years, Mexican communities across the Central Valley have invited the general public to participate in their Día de los Muertos celebrations.
These are some of the events hosted in Fresno, Kings, Madera and Tulare counties:
Sunday, Oct. 23
Who: Kings Cultural Center
Where: 14054 Front St., Armona
When: 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Kings Cultural Center is celebrating Día de los Muertos with family activities, altars, food and cultural presentations from Fresno State’s Danzantes de Aztlan, the Ballet Folklorico Sol Del Valle and more.
Details are listed on their Facebook page. For more information, call 559-589-6255.
Saturday, Oct. 29
Who: Tulare County League of Mexican American Women
Where: Visalia Public Cemetery, 1300 W Goshen Ave., Visalia
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Tulare County League of Mexican American Women are gathering to celebrate Día de los Muertos after a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their celebration at the Visalia Public Cemetery will include family activities, an Aztec blessing, food trucks and artisan vendors.
Additional details are available on the organization’s website.
Tuesday, Nov. 1
Who: Madera’s Indigenous communities and the Pan Valley Institute
Where: Courthouse Park, 210 W Yosemite Ave., Madera
When: 4-9 p.m.
Members of the Zapoteco, Triqui and Mixteca communities and the Pan Valley Institute — an American Friends Service Committee program — invite the public to their Día de los Muertos celebration. There will be music, dancers and food.
The event’s flier is published on the Institute’s website.
Saturday, Nov. 5
Who: The Multicultural Arts Center
Where: 645 W. Main St., Merced
When: 3-6:30 p.m.
Merced County’s Multicultural Arts Center is hosting a free and public Día de los Muertos celebration. They plan to include altars, live entertainment and a candle-light procession, among other activities. They also have an ongoing exhibit through Nov. 13, “To Love And Be Loved In Return,” in their main and second floor galleries.
Reception details are available on the arts center’s website.
Ongoing through Dec. 1
Who: Arte Américas
Where: 1630 Van Ness Ave., Fresno
When: Thursdays through Sundays from 12-5 p.m.
Arte Américas launched their annual Día de los Muertos exhibit earlier this month. This year’s exhibition, “La Añoranza,” or the Longing, is dedicated to “every life lost” and pays tribute to all those who are no longer present in the community.
The exhibit is open to the public for $5 per person, from Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 1. More details can be found on Arte Américas’ Facebook page.
