Copyright Santa Clarita Valley Signal
Alfredo Reveles’ grandmother, Sebastiana Hortencia Rosales de Abarca, was 93 years old when she died earlier this year. She had 11 siblings, then had 14 children of her own, and came from a family that was once separated during the Civil War. What the Canyon High School student misses most about his grandmother is “the wisdom she gave. She was a woman who lost a lot,” Reveles said as Spanish music performed by a mariachi band blasted in the background. One of the biggest lessons he learned from his late grandmother was, “She told me in her words, ‘Men don’t cry,’ but I never saw it as men shouldn’t cry because it poses them as weak. I think what she meant was, ‘Why waste your time crying when you could be smiling?’” Reveles said. “That woman lost so much, and she always chose to smile and I love that, and ever since, I’ve chosen to live a life very similar,” he added. But although Reveles could no longer see his grandmother, he was still ready to welcome her back in a different form. Reveles and his family planned on putting an ofrenda in their home, or an altar-like display, with a photo of his grandmother and his other late relatives. On the ofrenda, Reveles said he would put food, drinks and flowers next to those photos of his family members, to welcome their spirit back for the Dia de Muertos because “we should always be remembered,” he said. On Saturday, the Canyon Country Community Center was filled with approximately 1,000 people for the annual “Dia De Muertos” event aimed at celebrating culture, preserving traditions, and strengthening a sense of community. The Mexican holiday Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is meant to honor those who have died with colorful altars decorated with flowers, candles, skulls and food. The holiday is celebrated on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2. As the community center was filled with Spanish tunes traveling through the halls and into the outdoors, children and adults all engaged in an afternoon of dancing, folklorico performances, games and fun. “I feel very excited,” City Councilwoman Patsy Ayala said in Spanish. “This is a beautiful tradition that originates from Mexico.” Ayala represents the city’s District 1, which includes parts of Newhall and Canyon Country. “The nice part is to share the traditions, like in this case, it doesn’t matter where you’re from. The connection that we have here is that we loved the ones that have left us,” Ayala added. “That’s what Dia de los Muertos is about, that today we are connected with them, celebrating the life of the people that accompanied us at one point in our lives.” Over the years, Ayala has added more family members to her ofrenda back home, honoring them with their favorite foods, including pan dulce, also known as sweet bread, and other dishes her relatives loved in life. As the mariachi band continued to play covers of classic Spanish songs widely known across Mexico, Central America, and parts of the United States, Maria Inez Sanchez of Inglewood couldn’t keep still in her chair. She pushed her walking cane to the side and was encouraged by another attendee to head to the dance floor. Her daughter Marcela Lagunas watched her mother, who’s in her 70s, dance her heart out. When Lagunas, a Canyon Country resident, heard about the Dia De Muertos celebration, she woke up early enough to drive down to Inglewood and pick up her mother to take her to the Community Center to witness the cultural event. As they spent the day watching dancers in multicolored long skirts twirl to Mexican music, for Inez Sanchez, it was a moment she realized that the youth are keeping certain traditions intact. “It’s something so nice (to see) because they have to know our roots and our traditions,” Inez Sanchez said in Spanish. The celebration also brought many memories of her younger years flooding back, and she began to reminisce on fond memories of her travels back to Mexico. As the Canyon Country Community Center became the heart of celebration that afternoon, “this event really emphasizes the love Latinos bring when they’re together,” Reveles said, and in remembering their loved ones, many also found a reason to celebrate life.
