Dia di los Muertos

Candied sugar skulls

The Mexican Day of the Dead celebration corresponds with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. The traditions include honoring the dead with sugar candy skulls, flowers, altars, and visits to grave sites with ofrenda, such as the favorite food and drink of the departed. The holiday occurs right after Halloween, but despite the common symbol of the skull, the two celebrations have little in common.

The Day of the Dead traditions can be traced back 3,000 years, when it was common to keep skulls as trophies and use them in rituals symbolizing life and death. In many Mexican towns today, people plan months in advance for the holiday, and entire families go to the cemetery to clean and decorate graves once a year. Then they have an evening picnic there in honor of their departed loved ones.

Old Town San Diego

We've never been lucky enough to spend this holiday in Mexico, but American communities with large Mexican populations sometimes have similar celebrations. On November 2, 2004, we were finishing up a nice California vacation and we spent our last night at a hotel in San Diego's Old Town. Along with the Day of the Dead, it also happened to be presidential election night. (Somehow, that seemed fitting.)

Casa de Pico

Anyway, we always visit historic Old Town when we go to San Diego, but this was the first time we stayed in a hotel within walking distance of everything there. It has a wonderful atmosphere with adobe buildings, shopping, and of course delicious Mexican food. The outdoor Casa de Pico is one of the most popular restaurants. Way back in the 70's when I was a student at San Diego State, it was a big treat to eat there. I'm sure there is better Mexican food in San Diego, but they serve those huge, dripping platters of cheese-covered food and goldfish bowl Margaritas, so tourists love it. And any November dinner you can eat on an outdoor patio next to a fountain is a good meal.

After we ate, we waddled off to the Old Town Cemetery to see the traditional Mexican altars that were set up on the graves. I remember candles and flowers, and a "Haunted San Diego" history tour was going on nearby. Then, back to our room to watch the election returns.
And so the country signed up that night for four more years...

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Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico

The next morning we headed to the airport, and it felt like the entire state of California woke up with a hangover.