Día de los Muertos

Through art, music, and ritual Día de los Muertos honors our ancestors and celebrates today's community. The custom of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, may be confused with the custom of Halloween. They are not connected, however, the customs of each have very different origins, and the symbols and ideas of death are opposite. In the typical Halloween festivities, death is something to be feared. During Día de los Muertos, the memories and lives of those who have died are something to be celebrated.

We like to highlight the difference in the two holidays by this simple observation. A Halloween skull face will be dark and leering or scary looking, a Día de los Muertos skull face is full of color and happiness and is always smiling.

The customs and culture are completely enveloped in the making of the altars, the food, music, decorations and crafts of the holiday. Enjoy!

Financial support is provided by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.