Published: Monday, November 3, 2008
A day to honor the dead and the living
The Montaņo family, who died in a fire, were among those remembered at Dia de los Muertos celebrations in Snohomish County.
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Mark Mulligan / The Herald
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.
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Mark Mulligan / The Herald
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.
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Children decorated sugar skulls with bright colors.
MONROE -- The altar to honor the Montaņo 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 Montaņo 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 Montaņo 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.
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 Montaņo 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 Montaņo 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.
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