SQ celebrates Day of the Dead [El Dia de los Muertos] bringing a large crowd together from vary nationalities.
According to the tradition, this holiday begins on October 27 through November 3, each day is dedicated to honor specific deceased and transcended souls. The indigenous people of Mexico and Central America have practiced a ritual for a lease 3000 years. Customarily Mexican people visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried.
During this holiday grave sites are decorated with built colorful “Ofrendas” or altars decorated with “Cempasuchil”, marigold flowers. These Flores are bring, orange, circular, ad represent rebirth. It is said that because they look like the sun souls are attracted to the gold flowers. Lit candles and sugar skulls are placed on the altars, creating a welcoming setting for all souls to visit and spend time with their loved ones.
“The importance of this celebration is not the step or a physical presence, but the tradition that we keep alive, and the feeling we hold in our hearts,” said Silvia Amador SQ staff and the host of this event. “As long as our loved one are remember their souls will not be forgotten.”
Father Gorge Williams blessed the festivity and talked about how this tradition celebrated in most of the Latin countries where families come together in harmony to remember their loved ones.
“Dead could be a begging with our father in heaven,” said Williams. A large crowd of people packed the Catholic chapel.
Dancing the traditional Aztec dance the Cuauhoceloti performed bringing a large crowd together with whistles [critos] applauding to their traditional heritage.
During open microphone, participants were encouraged to take the podium and to share the stories of their loved ones. SQ., resident Moises Ramos talked about how he used to spend time with his grandparents in Mexico Jalisco Teuchitla and how his grandpa have trumpet and his grandpa was very strict as to who was allowed to touch this musical instrument. As a result, he learned how to play musical instruments.
Resident Arturo Melendez talked about his grandma in El Salvador how she used to showered him with a water holes when he was just kid. I he reflected how he was arrested on May 26 and she passed away on the May 26, four years later from complication of cancer; as a result, he became upset at himself because it was then that he realized that his grandmother passed without him being next to her.
Adrean Martinez, talked about his aunt passing away and how her dead affected him and he still misses her.
Jose Diaz, he performance a song in honor to his Cousin Lupita Cruz, who passed away from Leukemia Bring alive his guitar he played a song dedicated to his cousin, “When I was a kid we lived together, and we got along good and I miss he a lot.”
Resident Victor Morales, shared about his dad, Luismas had a lot of sense of humor, “The biggest advise he gave me when he shared with his dad that he wanted to leave his wife, Morales his dad replied ‘are you sure that you want to leave her cause you have to have paths not to leave home but to make sure that you don’t go back after you leave.”
(A) Chief Deputy Warden R. Rosalez, talked about how she was experiencing an emotion correlated to this event from an event the day before.
“I felt lonely it was not custom or tradition, but today I feel at home. I can relate to you all, “said chief deputy Rosales. “We put together this event because we understand that you are all far away from your home [countries].” The traditional Latin music was played by El Unico Elmento, their performance consisted of songs that related to loved leaving.
“First time to be able to honor the dead in 36 years and to honor my stepson Mike “Westside” Ike, it means that now I am able to celebrated his dead when in the past I was not able to,” said David R. Garcia
Solo performance continued as other residents jammed with their guitars at hand. There was an altar in commemoration to those who passed away, where pictures of loved ones were placed on the altar. For who were not able to bring their loved one picture, a blank white paper and sharpie market was passed for participants to write down there and place on the altar with a flame less candlelight’s.
The altar was composed miracle flowers, pumpkins, Halloween papers, monarchs, with the rational sugar skulls made out of soap.
To celebrate dead in prison is not a common thing. The chapel was at about full capacity with 200 and people whistling, clapping, tapping their feet is to the ground.
