![]() ![]() "It's more of a community family," Butler said, "people who grew up working alongside each other and are still remembered." Olivia Butler, Velez's daughter-in-law, noted that the two men were not members of Velez's family. By honoring them with an ofrenda, Velez is participating in the Día de los Muertos tradition of publicly celebrating the departed not just when they die, but every year. In addition to calling them both " Abuelo" (Grandfather), the community affectionately nicknamed them Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, after two Mexican revolutionaries. The two men on her ofrenda, who died about five years ago, had each worked on Olvera Street for decades, she said. "It's very difficult with so many restrictions, but the people do what they can do. ![]() The altar from the Mexican Cultural Institute of Los Angeles memorializes prominent Mexican Americans and community members who died in the past year. Some of this year's ofrendas honor COVID-19 victims. "But at least there is a bit of the celebration that we wanted to have - it's good that there's at least something." "For me, to not be able to celebrate with everybody that usually comes is very sad," Velez said, as she attached a garland of marigolds to her ofrenda. "Luckily we've been able to at least put up the community altars so people can come and look and see it as an art exhibit," she said. "It's been very different this year," said Valerie Hanley, who owns the Casa California shop. Olvera Street, a road in the historic heart of Los Angeles that was turned into a center for Mexican culture and commerce in 1930, has been hosting Day of the Dead celebrations for more than 30 years.īut with celebrations having been moved online because of the pandemic, the ofrendas have become the main event. People also come to visit the altars, called ofrendas (Spanish for "offerings") because they are dedicated as offerings to the souls of the deceased, honoring and welcoming them with candles and flowers, and often photographs, crosses, colored paper, water and salt to quench souls' thirst, food, other drinks or treasured objects. 2 since the Catholic Church moved pre-Columbian indigenous traditions of honoring the dead to coincide with All Souls Day. People gather for a novenario with nine nights of festivities combining Maya, Aztec and Catholic traditions - processions, prayer, eating and drinking, face painting and live entertainment leading up the holiday, which has been celebrated on Nov. ![]() The days and nights before Día de los Muertos are usually the busiest time of year for Olvera Street, said Junior Torres, who works at a taco stand halfway down the narrow avenue. Velez had never contributed an ofrenda for the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations before, but she was inspired this year to honor two men she used to see often at Juanita's Cafe, where she works as a cook. 27, Teresa Velez and her daughter-in-law were busy setting up an ofrenda altar for two beloved " abuelos" of the Olvera Street community.Ī few visitors silently circled the displays in the plaza adjoining the street, pausing to look at details - a giant Toma Todo Mexican spinning top, a black-and-white photograph, a pineapple. ![]()
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