CommunityTuesday, November 3
Chico marked Día de los Muertos with a fairgrounds festival and a cemetery celebration
The Daily Chico team
If you caught Día de los Muertos around Chico this weekend, you were in good company. The fourth annual festival, hosted by Divine Sundays, was held Nov. 1 at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, and dozens of families celebrated at Chico Cemetery, where Chico High's Ballet Folklorico Club performed traditional dances.
Each day of the holiday honors a different group of souls
- Oct. 27Families leave water and treats for pets and animals.
- Oct. 28Honors souls lost in accidents or violence; the first candle is lit.
- Oct. 31Water, bread and fruit go on the altar for unborn children.
- Nov. 1All Saints' Day: children's souls arrive to toys and food on the altar.
- Nov. 2Adult souls come to collect and eat the offerings.
- Nov. 3The last candle is lit, and families say goodbye and remove the offerings.
Source: The Orion
- UNESCO recognition: 2003, as heritage of humanity
- Altar staples: marigolds, candles, water, food, papel picado, salt
- Pan de muerto: sweet bread glazed with sugar, placed on the altar
Azra Gomez said she celebrated this year by going home to honor her older brother, who died last year. Maritza Bravo, a Chico community member, said keeping the tradition alive matters.
“Not forgetting those who are not with us anymore is a way to remember them.”
Altars can have two, three or seven levels, and the seven-level version is the most traditional.
The number of levels on an altar changes what it represents
| Altar | What it represents |
|---|---|
| Two levels | Division between earth and sky |
| Three levels | Sky, earth and the underworld |
| Seven levels | Steps a soul travels to the afterlife |
Source: The Orion
Sources: The Orion, Action News Now