Flores1

Gabby Flores
English 114B
Professor Morinini
14 April 2014
Day of the Dead
Being half Salvadorian and half Mei!an " #as able to eperien!e so$e of $y Mei!an
traditions% &n 'ove$ber se!ond it(s the !elebration of )he Day of the Dead% )he event #as at
1*00 East 1st Street+ Boyle ,eights in East -A% )he Day of the Dead #as originally pra!ti!ed in
Mei!o+ b.t has s!attered aro.nd thro.gh other !.lt.res and lo!ations% )he !elebration is to#ards
life and honors the death of others% )he .se of the s/.lls in!orporated in !elebrations+ are
a!!o$$odated #ith A0te! rit.als that #ere done d.ring their era% For A0te!1s+ the s/.lls #o.ld
represent death and rebirth% "n Mei!o they !elebrate by going to the !e$etery to visit their loved
ones% )hey de!orate the graves #ith flo#ers+ !andles+ and orna$ents% )hen they present the
favorite dishes of the loved one passed a#ay and for the !hildren they #o.ld bring toys% )he idea
is not to be afraid of death b.t a!!o$$odate it+ /eep a !onne!tion #ith the loved ones+ and
rebirth%
My friend and " #ent to the event #hen they #ere barely arranging the de!orations and
stands% )he art #as presented in the roo$% )he food and perfor$an!es #ere o.tside the roo$%
)he shopping distri!t #as in the o.tside street #here yo. !o.ld b.y s.gar s/.lls+ shirts+ bra!elets
and ba!/pa!/s% )he fa!e paintings #ere in the o.tside net to the roo$ and in the street% )he
vol.nteers #ere #earing bl.e and there #as a gro.p #ithin every se!tion% )here #ere $any
people parti!ipating in the event and $any #ith painted fa!es% )o#ard the beginning+ there #ere
a fe# people b.t started !ro#ding to#ards the night% More than 100 people attended #here yo.
Flores2
!o.ld feel the h.$idity in the art roo$s% Mostly " sa# -atin people+ b.t there #ere others fro$
different ra!e% Fa$ilies+ friends+ and the !o$$.nity s.rro.nded this festival as to #here the
poli!e #ere in the front gate% An A0te! perfor$an!e dan!e #as done to#ard the afternoon+ then
in the night a D2 #as playing% "n the art roo$s #e got to see 3ebe!a Mende0+ Ger$s+ &$ar
-ope0 and $.!h $ore 4hi!ano artists%
Ara!eli+ $y partner+ !a$e over to $y ho.se in order to Google the dire!tions% " #as a bit
nervo.s+ sin!e it #as $y se!ond ti$e going thro.gh the $etro and s.b#ay to go to -os Angeles%
My father dropped .s off at the 'orth ,olly#ood Station and #e bo.ght o.r tap !ards and too/
the s.b#ay to leave at the last stop the 5nion Station% Fro$ the 5nion station #e #ent .p to the
Golden line% Even tho.gh it #as $y se!ond ti$e+ " #as a$a0ed ho# #e !o.ld be .ndergro.nd
and pop .p in -os Angeles% 6hat " !a$e into reali0ation is that " #as raised in the 7alley only to
/no# a li$ited spa!e of lo!ations not even /no#ing -A #hen it(s so !lose to $e% "n a sense+ it
$ade $e feel $ore eposed to the #orld8 $y !.riosity for /no#ing $ore pla!es has in!reased%
6hen #e got to o.r destination #e #ere a bit early so #e eplored little )o/yo distri!t%
D.ring the event+ " #as able to spea/ to a vender na$ed Aleyda% She heard abo.t the
event thro.gh a friend and got interested in parti!ipating% "t #as her se!ond ti$e parti!ipating
#ithin this one year% Aleyda believed that by having this event it pro$pted the !lothing line
9Pa.lina 4lothing9 and it #o.ld spread the spirit of the day of the dead into re$e$bering fa$ily
that passed a#ay s.!h as a $e$orial% 6hile " #as intrig.ed by the art+ " #as able to
!o$$.ni!ate to a vol.nteer na$ed 7ladi$ir 4hi!as #ho parti!ipated t#i!e this year% ,e !hose
to parti!ipate to help the !o$$.nity sin!e he lives to#n the street and fo.nd o.t the event #as
!lose to hi$% 7ladi$ir #anted the event at its best to sho# ne# in!o$ers a great first i$pression+
Flores*
helping others re$inis!ing to#ard their loved ones+ and gather together% After " started tal/ing to
this #o$an #ho /ne# $.!h abo.t the art her na$e #as E0ria #ho has vol.nteered for abo.t
seven years% She is infl.en!ed by art and believes it plays a great part for self epression% E0ria
believes the art is able to represent life and #hat the festival is abo.t% She fo.nd o.t abo.t the
event by a!!ident and felt !o$$itted after her first event to help o.t #ith the festival%
Being $y first ti$e to !elebrate the Day of the Dead " en:oyed the !elebration% )he $ost " #ill
re$e$ber is the fa!e paintings and !ost.$es that are !reative and !onne!t to the dead thro.gh
the s/eleton paintings% " #as able to have $y fa!e painted half #ay of the right side and design
$y o#n de!oration% )he gallery of the painting #as all.sive in essen!e of having the idea that
the dead are near% )his event is a !elebration thro.gh -atin A$eri!a providing !.lt.ral
a#areness% )his event is able to provide other ra!es and those #ho are .na#are of #hat event is
to #hat the !.lt.re is abo.t thro.gh the perfor$an!es+ food+ a!tivities+ and art% Also it
in!orporates ho# #e need to sho# so!iety that #e play a part and have o.r o#n val.es%
Altho.gh " #ill not be !elebrating d.e to $y o#n religion+ it #as ni!e being open $inded to
so$e of the traditions that originated fro$ Mei!o%