By Lori BODNAR, intern

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, was celebrated in downtown Glendale at Artsakh Paseo on Nov. 2. Dia de los Muertos is a Latino tradition that honors and celebrates the lives of deceased loved ones with food, drink, parties and activities that they enjoyed. The Artsakh Paseo event included dancing, a story time, live music, face painting, paper flower making, painting plaster skulls or calaveras and a community altar, or ofrenda. 

The entertainment and songs were lively and many children and adults could be seen dancing the salsa and Macarena, or line dancing. The event was free to attend with many of the activities not charging a fee, such as the paper flower making, skull decorating and skull face painting – all enjoyed both adults and children. There was also a special Arboles de los Recuerdos, or Memory Tree, where anyone could write a note or memory to a loved one who had died and hang it on a decorated tree. At the traditional community ofrenda, people could remember loved ones with photos and memorabilia, as well as food, drink and offerings for the deceased. 

There was plenty of food, including free conchas, traditional Mexican sweet bread. Conchas have chocolate on it and they get their name from their round shape and their striped, seashell-like appearance. For those folks still hungry, they could buy tacos and churros. Tea was also served. The ambience was celebratory with paper flag papels picado and paper flower decorations. 

People who attended the event could play loteria as one of the games. Loteria is kind of like bingo but is centuries old and includes cards. Some people dressed up like skeletons with flowers in their hair. There was a booth to purchase crowns of flowers, too.

The City of Glendale hosted this fun family Day of the Dead event to honor loved ones who have passed away and to celebrate the Latin America culture.

One of the event organizers remarked, “I love Glendale! Only here could you have a Dia de los Muertos celebration in front of a Korean barbecue restaurant in an Armenian sister city.”

  Lori BODNAR