LONGVIEW, Texas — Nov. 1 marks a two-day celebration where the Hispanic community celebrates their reunion with family members who have passed away.
El Día de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, is more of a celebration of remembrance rather than mourning and people who celebrate this event say it’s very different from Halloween.
"Everything about the way Latinos view death is vibrant and beautiful and still alive," said Megan Harrison, event coordinator for Longview's Day of the Dead event.
The city of Longview celebrated its inaugural Día de los Muertos celebration this past weekend, highlighting Hispanic culture in East Texas.
"Longview’s never really done something like this and considering the Hispanic community is only growing and I think it’s important to show representation and teach everyone else our values and our tradition," said Miss Tatum Latina Alexis Salgado.
It’s a holiday in the Latino community of remembering those who are not with us anymore. Not to be confused with Halloween, El Día de los Muertos is a tradition that started in Mexico with the Aztecs.
"When the Spaniards came over and there was a colonization and it kind of blended with Catholicism with the Day of the Saints. And so they made it All Saints Day, but there’s still a pocket of Mexico and a good bunch of Central America that still celebrated El Día de los Muertos, which just highlights and honors those who have passed and allows them to visit two days a year so that they can feel like they’re part of the family still," Harrison said.
This holiday is celebrated for two days with Nov. 1 celebrating the dead in general, and Nov. 2 as “Día de los Angelitos,” a day to remember kids who passed away.
"I found out because I live right over there and I heard some music and I opened it and it was Spanish music and my sister called me and said they’re having a Día de los Muertos and I said okay let’s meet down stairs and let’s go," said Maria Campusano, a Longview resident.
Traditions that are done within Día de los Muertos include ofrendas (offering placed in a home altar to honor deceased loved ones) and catrinas (an elegantly dressed skeleton figure).
"I’m a catrina, the red represents love and the blood and passion that we have for our passed loved ones," said Lauriceoa Martinez.
"La catrina, she is la muerte, she is part of death and she is the one that governs the death of the living," Harrison said.
It’s said that there are three deaths. One is the death of the body. Then there is the death when somebody is buried into the ground.
"And then once they get into the ground, and they’re in the land of the living, where their family can remember them and put their photos on the ofrenda and share stories about them and share memories – that’s how they enjoy the land of the living," Harrison said.
And the third death is Xibalba’s ring, "Where it’s the land of the dead and the land of the lost and forgotten," Harrison said.
But what’s not forgotten are the memories that stay with us when our loved ones leave us, remembering them through colorfully decorated ofrendas with orange carnations leading them home to their family.
"They can put food or items that were dear to them. Some people put journals and some people who have lost babies put little sandals on there and they honor it with sandals and with carnations, or cempasuchil, which is that beautiful orange carnation," Harrison said.