People celebrate Dia de los Muertos all over San Diego

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — It was a celebration full of food, decorations and lots of color. Dia de los Muertos is “Day of the Dead,” a Mexican holiday celebrated by many in San Diego.

In Old Town, people came from places as far away as Spain, South Korea, Poland and Canada. The locals also appreciated the festivities.

“A lot of people think it’s a bad thing on the Day of the Dead, that we celebrate La Muerta and all that. But it’s not,” Tanya Ortiz said. “We’re celebrating the life of the person who died. It’s like a second birthday.”

Ortiz is from Mexico, but has lived in San Diego for twelve years. She sells blankets through her family business.

“Having a little corner of Mexico in a different culture in your home and making it completely yours,” she said of her blankets and their role in this celebration.

And that taste of Mexico is what Perla Cuevas and her brother Daniel Guizar love about the holiday. And for this particular celebration, the tradition means much more.

“This is the first year our father passed away,” Cuevas said. “And so today, in his honor, he came to visit from LA, and we celebrate our father together.”

Octavio Aguirre’s mother also died. He believes she would have enjoyed the celebration as much as he and his wife did.

“She would have absolutely loved this because they didn’t have this kind of thing when we were younger,” Aguirre said. “They just didn’t do that! So basically bringing attention to the Latin American celebration, it’s fantastic. It’s absolutely amazing.”

Octavio’s wife Robin said the holiday spirit in the old town does justice to the tradition.

“They really have a big celebration and people are so respectful,” Robin Aguirre said. “And everyone is here to have a good time. So I think that’s what we like the most.”

Dia de Los Muertos also includes family and friends paying respects to loved ones who have passed away.