15th Annual Dia de los Muertos at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Kelly Fay
The topic of “death” can be considered morbid conversation, except on the streets of Mexico, where the annual Dia de los Muertos offers nothing to fear. Dia de los Muertos commemorates those who have passed along with an opportunity to present a platform or party for the dead to revisit the loved ones they left behind.
In Mexican culture, the soul doesn’t die but instead goes to Mictlán, a mythological underworld where late loved ones continue to live — and on first day of each November the departed return to our Earthly plane to join the fiesta. While not visible to the eye, these spirits are surely felt as they seek personal reunions. Dating back over 3,000 years to the pre-Hispanic cultures of Meso-America, the deep-rooted tradition has survived the colonization of the Spaniards to become a joyous day of celebration.
Each year, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery lends its eerie grounds to celebrate life and death. The 15th annual Dia de los Muertos will be on Saturday, November 1, when attendees can expect to mingle, eat, drink and boogie down with the dearly departed and those still kickin’ under the theme “Quinceañera.” As the authentic aromas of Mexican cuisine fill the air, the cemetery will be decked out in festive Mexican customs and traditions as Aztec ritual dancers perform into the night, Aztec blessings fill the air, musical performers take to the stage. The main stage will feature Grammy-nominated Carla Morrison, Grammy-winner Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea and impressive follow-up acts La Santa Cecilia, Gaby Moreno and Los Cenzontles.
At the center of the celebration you’ll find fastidiously crafted altars and spiritual shrines created by loved ones of the departed. The specially customized homages emphasize cultural beauty and the importance of faith, family and antiquity. Altars are decorated with photos, fruit, keepsakes and colors to create a welcoming shrine upon the return of loved ones. The Ceremonial Altar setup begins on October 31 at 3 p.m., and the Day of the Dead begins on November 1 at noon and continues until midnight.
It’s not every day that you get to party hard with the once-living while entrenched in Mexican culture, so take your beating heart to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for an out-of-this-world celebration of death.
Tickets for the Dia de los Muertos at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery are available here.