Feliz Dios De Los Muertos!

Dios De Los Muertos ( The Day of the Dead )

What could be a more appropriate event to place in a cemetery than honoring one's deceased loved ones on Dios De Los Muertos? With fantastic altars comprised of portraits of the deceased, food & drink both tboth raditional as well as those preferred by the deceased ,so that the entire family can come and add to the altars, and march in the candle lit processions that are marked by the lights of

Luminaria ( novena candles placed inside of brown paper bags) along the streets and paths leading to the central place of remembrance?

San Francisco's famed Mission District is the home of KINKARACO ® and one of the most famous and culturally rich Latin cultural neighborhoods in the country. Just blocks away is the Mission Cultural Center which is historically the begging of the festivies here. Artists and families make altars on the huge upper floors of the center and then the procession begins marked by the full dress blessing of the Aztec Dancers in the middle of the city street (whether or not it has officially been blocked off to traffic )

FERNWOOD CEMETERY (Callifornias first GREEN cemetery) is where we were born and the Father of Fernwood is also the Maestro of HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY in Los Angeles , home of another thriving cultural latin base . Being the most innovative of all the cemeterians, Tyler Cassity puts on the most spectacular Dios De Los Muertos extravaganza of all! With performers such as the brilliant beautiful & powerful Lila Downs, to bringing authentic Huichol Shamans to open the event!

Here 's a peek at DIOS DE LOS MUERTOS at HOLLYWOOD FOREVER 2014:

Hollywood Forever Dia De Los Muertos / Day of The Dead 2014 from Piero F Giunti on Vimeo.

Why not create your OWN Dios De Los Muertos in your own local cemetery?

What you need:

1. A Cemetery

2. Crates or sturdy Boxes for the altar

3. Beautiful fabric, tablecloths lace to cover the boxes

4. Framed portraits of the deceased (can be people, dogs, horses, cats, anyone you loved.)

5. Crosses, Buddhas, Stars of David, Our Lady of Guadalupe statures, any relavant statues (of Liberty?)

6. Candles on the altars ( Novenas are tall candles in glass cylinders sold at any latin bodegas or any large grocery store with a latin population) Luminaria -for leading path..are created by putting those lit candles in small plain brown paper bags . ( Be careful of fire by appointing a "fire watcher"to keep watch.)

7. Cover the front cloth on the floor with: Fruit, Cakes, Rum, Corn, gourds, pumpkins, tamales, pizza, eggs, bread, chapati, tortillas, casseroles, basically anything the deceased liked while living, any family tradition.

8. Flowers- Traditionally Marigolds and Sunflowers - but Red Roses are really nice too!

Invite your entire family and friends to come DRESS UP AS THE DEAD/PAINT YOUR FACES LIKE SKELETONS and join in the procession after dark and afterwards sit at the altar ,tell stories about the person, sing, dance ,hug and cry.

Its cathartic!

Bless you & all your ancestors ....this Dios De Los Anos - Nov. 2nd 2015 !