Fruitvale gears up for annual Día de los Muertos celebration: ‘It is a very important holiday for us, where we honor our ancestors.’

An altar is set up on a black-tiled table in a flower shop. It includes marigolds, colorful stones, a can of coke, a bottle of alcohol, candles, a cross and some photos.

In a nook between the parish offices and the sanctuary, with its pearly white walls and stained glass windows, a line of worshippers has come to St. Elizabeth church in Fruitvale looking for answers to the unexpected and unexplainable.  A woman, her son by her side, is weeping, hyperventilating, her head tilted down as she…

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The Oakland Museum of California hosts 17th annual Day of the Dead celebrations

The Oakland Museum of California was adorned with vibrant colors, packed with people wearing morbid costumes and smelled like fresh marigolds on Sunday afternoon for the museum’s 17th annual Dia de Muertos community celebration and exhibition.

Kids and adults with painted faces wandered around the museum’s lawn, buying handmade tortillas and jewelry, and dancing to Mexican music as they celebrated Día de Muertos, Spanish for “day of the dead.” The theme for the exhibition, which started October 12, is “Love & Loss.” The Dia de Muertos holiday is traditionally celebrated November 1 and 2.

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