Día de los Muertos in Los Angeles

Nearly all Angelenos know Dia de los Muertos is around the corner, but few know what the holiday is celebrating. Senior Nick Castilla says, "I've been Hispanic for 22 years now. My dad's Mexican and I still don't really know what the holiday is or why it gets celebrated." 

While most people know the celebration as a national holiday in Mexico, it actually has its roots much farther back than that. Some 4,000 years ago the Aztec peoples started a tradition in which they celebrated their ancestors and worshipped the goddess of the underworld, Mictecacihuatl. The celebration originally lasted for over a month but after the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores it was shortened to two days; All Saint's Day and All Souls' Day' November 1 and 2 respectively. The holiday exists as a celebration of the connection between Heaven and the living. 

All Saints' Day is a time for believers to celebrate the Saints, known and unknown. In the Mexican tradition, All Saints' Day is also known as Día de los Inocentes, a day in which families remember and honor all deceased children and infants. This is followed by All Souls' Day, in which families spend the day in prayer for lost family members. 

Although deeply spiritual, the holiday is also a celebration of art and creativity. Those participating often make altars and colorful banners as a way to show death is another beautiful part of life. The altars are also a way to represent all the family members being celebrated during the festival.

While Día de los Muertos can often seem mysterious to many Angelenos, that's no reason not to take part. After all, the holiday itself is a celebration of something nearly all of us think of as the ultimate mystery.