Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> Mark Mulligan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Reina Guitron and Alberto Robles perform a dance typical in the Jalisco state in Mexico at the Dia de los Muertos celebration Sunday evening at the Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe. The celebration honors those who have died. Mark Mulligan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Galilea Margarito, 4, of Lake Stevens decorates a sugar skull, a confection made with sugar and egg white in the shape of a skull, with frosting Sunday evening at the Dia de los Muertos celebration at the Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe. (click to enlarge) Children decorated sugar skulls with bright colors.   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Fatal Snohomish fire ruled accidental 1/15/09   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, November 3, 2008 A day to honor the dead and the living The Montaño family, who died in a fire, were among those remembered at Dia de los Muertos celebrations in Snohomish County. By Justin Arnold Herald Writer MONROE -- The altar to honor the Montaño family was nearly complete. Paintings of Jesus Christ, bowls of fruit, candles, tortillas and marigolds were arrayed as an offering to the dead. It was Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, and celebrants came from every corner of Snohomish County to honor both the dead and the living. "This is the day when all Latin Americans celebrate with a day of food, fun and dancing to remember those who have died," Alberto Robles said. "It is the day we pay our respects but also celebrate their lives." This year, he dedicated the altar to the Montaño family, who died Sept. 30 in a fire. A picture of the family sat atop the altar, surrounded by things that the family enjoyed in life -- beverages, cigarettes and food. "The gifts are just for them," Robles said. "It is only for those who are no longer with us." While the holiday may seem morbid to some, it is a tradition dating back thousands of years to Aztec observances. It's a celebration to honor the lives of friends and family who have died. While Halloween is generalized as a night of scary costumes, during Dia de los Muertos, festive skeletons are solely used to represent death. Robles is the president of Northwest Latinos Unidos, and he felt it was important to not only remember the Montaño family, but also celebrate Dia de los Muertos in a fashion that will pass down the tradition to their children. "When a lot of Latin people come to America they sometimes forget their culture," Robles said. "This tradition is important -- we must remember it so we can teach our children. I would say that 80 percent of all families I know have an altar in their home. We must remember for our future generations." Children were invited to decorate skulls with cookie icing. The skulls are made with sugar, egg whites and then decorated with cookie frosting. Angi Simon of Sky Performing Arts collaborated with Robles to spread the word on the Dia de los Muertos celebration and help others recognize its cultural significance. "The Day of the Dead is not meant to be sad, it is a celebration," Simon said. "The tradition calls for the cleaning of headstones and graves, planting of flowers so that the dead may enjoy them. To me, Dia De Los Muertos means respect." Reporter Justin Arnold: 425-339-3432 or jarnold@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. Trooper rear-ended by suspected drunk driver north of Tulalip 2. Marysville accident backs up I-5 for miles 3. Democrats split over choice for Snohomish County prosecuting attorney 4. Damage persists after off-roading ban in Reiter Foothills 5. Snohomish County stores dangle discounts to grab shoppers 6. New Age of extra income 7. Thanksgiving tradition flourishes at Everett church 8. Transformed Silvertip 9. Toys that reflect racial diversity haled as ‘about time’ 10. Tips for Christmas-tree buying in Snohomish County 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Ruling in the pool • Holiday Lightings & Santa Sightings • Archbishop Murphy takes title • A season of performing arts • Budget numbers have official fuming • Wildcats move on to 2A semifinals • Holiday Bazaars & Fairs Calendar • Edmonds’ Westgate Chapel serves up hospitality for holiday • Mavericks fall • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million