Events for Day of the Dead scheduled throughout October

This valuable part of Mexican heritage is a multi-cultural celebration that serves as a time to remember friends and family members who have died. It's based on the belief that, for two days, the souls of the dead return home to visit with their loved ones. It's a cherished event where families celebrate life, honor death and remember those who they have lost.

A focal element in the celebration of El Dia de los Muertos is the construction of altars (altares con ofrendas) that serve as both a memorial for the departed and as a landmark to help the departed find their way home. Arches are constructed from sugar cane or bamboo and attached to the altars and adorned with bright orange marigolds, known as flor de muerto (flower of the dead) and offerings (ofrendas) are left as welcome gestures. The ofrendas often consist of the favorite foods and drinks of the departed.

Other symbolic ofrendas are candles, which symbolize rebirth and faith and whose light is meant to guide the departed home; water, which purifies and cleanses and quenches the thirst of the spirits; and incense, which represents the transformation of the physical to the supernatural. Photographs of the departed, mounds of fruit and special bread (pan de muerto) are also part of traditional altars.

Petaluma residents Emelia and Leoncio Quintas plan for the festivities months in advance. They grow their own flowers and bamboo for the altar in their back yard. Quintas is from Oaxaca, a region in southern Mexico where El D? de los Muertos is celebrated with great pride and commitment.

"Spirits do come and this is an important day to commemorate that," says Quintas. Having grown up with this belief, El Dia de los Muertos has become an important tradition for his own children.

Marisela Quintas, Quintas' daughter-in-law, is from a region in Mexico where El D? de los Muertos isn't celebrated with the same fervor, but her in-laws inspired her to share this rich tradition. Three years ago, she built an altar in her home honoring her mother, who passed when she was 11 years old. "It made me see things differently," she said. "I now have more respect for the dead and now feel that even though my mother is gone, she is still with me."

Leoncio Quintas unwittingly shares his reverence for this tradition with his community. Five years ago, he answered a church volunteer request to build an altar. Since then, as part of the El D? de los Muertos festivities, he conducts a two-hour workshop teaching others how to build traditional Oaxacan altars. This year, Quintas will be conducting his workshop from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3, at the Petaluma Arts Center, 230 Lakeville St.

Now in it 10th year, El Dia de los Muertos is presented by the Petaluma Arts Council and the schedule of events spans the entire month of October. In addition to the altar workshop, the celebration includes bilingual poetry readings, performance dance celebrations, fine art exhibits and a traditional candlelight procession. There will be two community altars displayed in Petaluma, where families are welcome to place photographs and other memorabilia: at the Petaluma Arts Center and in the breezeway of the Lan-Mart building.

The picturesque altars may be the heart of the celebration, but the gathering of the community to publicly honor those who have died is what makes El Dia de los Muertos such a heartfelt celebration.

For more information, contact Abraham Solar at 769-4195 or go to www.petalumaartscouncil.com for the schedule of events.

(Contact Leigh Ann Yebra at argus@arguscourier.com)

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