Celebration

This event celebrates the unity of life and death. It is considered by many to be the most important holiday of the year in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Day of the Dead is observed in many European and South American countries like Portugal, Spain, Philippines, Italy, to name

a few! Día de los Muertos is a very special holiday it is believed that once a year, at this time the spirits of loved ones who have died return to earth to celebrate this holiday with friends and family. It is the Season that brings the Monarch butterflies to many locations believed to be the spirits.

Community

The premier Day of the Dead event in San Diego County, formerly held in Old Town has moved to Downtown’s historic Gaslamp area. It continues to celebrate the history, culture, and heritage of the San Diego region which has a legacy and predominance of Mexican, Spanish, and Native American, cultures as a general melting pot. The move of this beloved celebration to 

the Gaslamp adds deeper meaning and is more than ever about the  history, culture, and heritage of our ancestors and celebrates our community. Through art, music, and ritual Día de los Muertos honors and remembers the lives of those that have made a difference. The customs and culture culminates in the making of the altars, and the traditions of the holiday.

Rememberance

The primary tradition connected with the Día de los Muertos holiday is the building of altars or ofrendas (offerings) honoring the deceased. In the historic area of downtown, our primary focus is the celebration of life and remembering those that have passed.”What a difference a day (the Day of the Dead) celebration makes! The Gaslamp is the best place to remember our 

loved ones. In the U.S. What once was a family’s religious ritual has been reinvented as a holiday of ethnic pride that builds bridges between new legal immigrants, between Latinos and Anglos, and across all cultural identity, consumerism, and political points of view. It draws attention to the things we have in common as people and a world that appreciates life and liberty.