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Guides, ofrendas, origins: De Los’ complete coverage of Día de Muertos

Illustration with marigolds, a monarch butterfly and sugar skulls.
(Illustration by Dia Pacheco / For De Los)
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Día de Muertos is a time to celebrate and honor the dead. From ofrendas to James Bond, De Los explored the origins and evolution of the holiday.

The holiday is an opportunity to spend time with the memories of those who came before us, and celebrate life.

Here’s your guide for events in L.A. and O.C. counties that are bringing the community together to celebrate Día de Muertos.

Altars, traditional dances and musical performances filled Hollywood Forever Cemetery for the 24th annual Día y Noche De Los Muertos.

Back From Tomboctou in San Diego hosts an annual ofrenda-making workshop for those looking to honor and celebrate their dead loved ones for the holiday.

Protected by a black door with stained glass circles, the Mausoleum Tiresias is the first burial site for trans women in Mexico.

Make an ofrenda for a loved one who has died with our annual Día de Muertos digital altar.

The Día de Muertos parade is a sumptuous, extravagant delight. It might surprise some to hear that the parade stemmed from a single scene in a James Bond movie in 2015.

As we enter this magical period, Latinx brujas show us how to call upon our ancestors and connect to our spiritual side.

Flower vendors in the Flower District of downtown L.A. prepare cempasúchils for ofrendas and Día de Los Muertos celebrations weeks in advance.

Ofrendas used to celebrate Día de los Muertos are made using items that have special meanings with origins dating back to Indigenous people.

The long-standing celebration began in 1973 with Sister Karen Boccalero, founder and former director of Self Help Graphics.

This year’s theme for the annual Day of the Dead festival at Long Beach’s Museum of Latin American Art celebrated tradition with “Hecho con Amor/Made With Love.”

Most of us know what Día de Muertos is but are unfamiliar with the history behind the tradition that is now celebrated each year.

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