OC’s Libraries Celebrate Día de Los Muertos

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Librarians astatine the Placentia Library decorativeness acceptable up of the Día de Los Muertos assemblage altar connected Oct. 21, 2024. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

Libraries crossed Orange County are putting down their books for a infinitesimal to retrieve the dead.

Editor’s note: This is an occasional bid wherever Voice of OC works with section assemblage photographers to connection residents a first-hand look astatine the section sites and scenes of Orange County.

This month, parts of libraries were acceptable up arsenic altars — a Latino contented besides known arsenic an ofrenda — for the nationalist successful solemnisation of Día de Los Muertos.

Two nationalist libraries – the El Modena Branch Library successful Orange and the Placentia Library District – invited residents to grant deceased loved ones done assemblage altars during the period of October.

“Public libraries particularly should beryllium a reflection of the communities they serve,” said Lizette Guerra, librarian with the Orange Public Library who placed photos of her parents connected the ofrenda astatine the El Modena Library.

About 40% of residents successful some Orange and Placentia identify arsenic Latino.

“Oftentimes arsenic a kid we spell connected these tract trips to museums, and you’re looking astatine these Greek and Roman statues and assemblage paintings, and it has thing to bash with our experiences,” she said. “And truthful it’s bully to locomotion into a abstraction that does bespeak your civilization oregon your experience.”

At the El Modena Branch Library, residents were capable to adhd photographs of deceased loved ones to the community ofrenda passim the period of October.

“For a batch of america Latinos, decease is astir inverted,” Guerra said.

“We clasp it arsenic a information of life.”

The Placentia Library invited the nationalist to their assemblage altar starting connected Oct. 21.

“The room is simply a harmless place, and we privation everyone to consciousness invited to observe their culture,” said Yesenia Baltierra, Assistant Library Director astatine the Placentia Library District.

“We’re a spot for everyone. That’s wherefore it’s precise important for america to let everyone to consciousness included successful what we bash successful the library.”

Dating backmost thousands of years, the customized of creating altars combines Catholic traditions and pre-colonial Aztec rituals to retrieve the dead.

“Both of them were precise devout Catholics. My begetter would adjacent marque the apparel for the priests astatine his church,” said Jeanette Contreras, Library Director astatine the Placentia Library District. “My begetter was the crushed wherefore my household made it to this country.”

Día de Los Muertos is celebrated by Latinos specified arsenic the archetypal 2 days of November successful Mexico, the United States, and successful other Latin American countries specified arsenic Guatemala, Ecuador, El Salvador, Bolivia, and Spain.

Latinos memorialize their loved ones by constructing altars with photographs of the deceased, nutrient and unsocial offerings that subordinate to the person’s life.

Today, residents tin observe Día de Los Muertos astatine the Roosevelt-Walker Community Center oregon the Santa Ana Cemetery, among different places.

Family members and friends are invited to physique idiosyncratic ofrendas connected gravesites.

Erika Taylor is simply a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow and photojournalist. You tin find her connected Instagram @camerakeepsrolling oregon email astatine [email protected]

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