In honor of Halloween I wanted to share my visit to the Día de los Muertos celebration in San Pedro this past weekend. While Día de los Muertos is not an actual Halloween celebration I thought it would be perfect to include in my post because it happens around the same time. For those that have never heard of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), it is a celebration that began in Mexico and honors deceased loved ones. There are rituals strife with symbolic meaning, food, beautiful face painters music and more.
Jose Cuervo was one of the sponsors for San Pedro’s festival and invited me and LaJon to come and enjoy the festivities. Let’s just say they had us at Cuervo!
I’d never been to a Día de los Muertos festival but am no stranger to a lot of the imagery so it was great to finally learn a thing or two about the culture. All around us were cultural references and the more I saw the more in awe I was of how beautiful the celebration is. From children dancing and singing in traditional Mexican attire to a memorial where you could write the names of your loved ones on a wall, the event held so much meaning and intention. It will definitely become a tradition in the coming years.
Pretty Painted Ballerinas
Showing me how its done!
Honoring my cousin Skip who lost his battle with cancer in 2014
Be prepared to bring your walking shoes and stretchy pants because there is food and art vendors galore selling Mexican food, Día de los Muertos flower crowns and painters who can recreate the sugar skull face painting on your face.
I especially loved seeing the kiddies get into the spirit of the day! There is just something about seeing children celebrate time-honored traditions that warms my heart and makes the traditions that much more special.
Jose Cuervo had a cool tasting garden sectioned off where you could learn about their new Don Anita tequila and have a beer. After walking around the fair LaJon and I stopped in to enjoy and learn a bit of history about Cuervos new agave tequila line. We also had a good view of the stage so we were able to catch some performances as well. We felt like total VIP’s at the Jose Cuervo lounge and enjoyed chatting up some of the other patrons.
Being at the festival was a reminder for me that as Americans we are all so beautifully different and nuanced and when we celebrate our differences it can draw us closer to one another. I’ve been privileged to grew up in Long Beach California, a true melting pot of so many different cultures but I realize I’ve taken for granted that these celebrations exist and at any given moment I can step right out of my door and be immersed in it. Going to the Día de los Muertos festival was a reminder not to take this for granted and I’m so grateful that I got to be apart of it!
What are some cultural traditions that you practice during the Halloween season? I’d love to know in the comments below!