Day of the Dead celebrations bring Mexican tradition to P.E.I.

(This story was originally published by The Guardian on Nov. 1, 2024.)

Diego Montero is hosting a Day of the Dead event on Nov. 2 at Island Hill Farm in P.E.I. where Mexicans, Canadians and anyone else who would like to take part in a night of celebrations and sharing the stories of their deceased loved ones. - Judith Mendiolea/Special to The Guardian

Inés Pérez would stir a bubbling pot of milk, breaking chunks of cocoa into the warmth.

The smell of chocolate would draw everyone to gather around, cups in hand, before following the path of marigold petals to the family altar.

There, lighted by the glare of candles they would share food, raise a tequila toast and remember the tales of those who had passed.

Verónica Arredondo can still see it as if it were yesterday. She, her mother and grandmother sharing their cups of "chocolate abuelita."

Although there were only the three of them in the room, they knew they weren’t truly alone.

It was the first of November. The Day of the Dead.

Longtime tradition

Día de Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a several-day celebration that serves not as a mourning of death, but a joyful invitation to those who have crossed to the other side.

In Mexico, families prepare their ofrendas (altars) with photos, candles, personal objects and a variety of favourite foods of the deceased.

These items are said to guide the spirits home for a night of celebration, laughter and remembrance, knowing that even in death, bonds endure.

It’s the common belief that telling the stories of the dead is what keeps them alive; otherwise, they’ll be forgotten.

Verónica Arredondo set an altar for her grandmother, Inés Pérez, to honour her memory and plans on celebrating Día de Muertos the first of November with her friends. - Judith Mendiolea/Special to The Guardian

And in P.E.I., miles from the vibrant streets of Oaxaca, Arredondo will be carrying on this tradition.

“I feel like I’m honouring them, and being here represents double for me,” Arredondo said, referring to her grandparents, who she included on her ofrenda this year. “I’m honouring them because they were a big part of my life; they made me, informed me, and made it possible for me to be here.”

Arredondo relects, “I would say gracias. I would thank (Pérez) for the values, for what she taught my mom and later taught me.”

With Día de Muertos coming soon, Arredondo is not the only one preparing for it.

At a glance

• Nov. 1-2 is celebrated under different terms, including Night of the Dead (Noche de Muertos) and Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos.)

• Nov. 1 is for Día de los Angelitos, to honour the souls of children.

• Nov. 2 is for adults, traditionally known as Día de los Difuntos or Día de los Muertos.

• It’s said that the deceased return to the world of the living during these days to be reunited with their families

• An ofrenda is an altar of photos of departed loved ones, their favourite food, candles to light their path back, marigolds (cempasúchil) to attract the souls (butterflies) with scent and colour, and other mementos belonging to the loved ones.

• The Catrina was created by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada and later popularized by artist Diego Rivera. She is an elegant, dressed-up skeleton meant to satirize Mexican society's obsession with European fashions and wealth. Now, she’s a beloved and recognizable symbol of Día de Muertos, representing the idea that death is the great equalizer and that life should be celebrated in all its beauty and imperfection.

Community gathering

Diego Montero, the owner of the Mexican food venture Los Nopales, is also honouring his ancestors during a celebration where he is inviting the community.

“This year, the altar is dedicated especially to my great-grandparents. My great-grandfather was the most special person I've ever had,” Montero said. “Before he died, he said to me, ‘You never worry, because I will always come to visit you at least once a year.’

“He used to have a little glass of whisky before he went to sleep. Now, I have one in his honour.”

Día de Muertos, then, is a sacred duty for Mexicans, a way to keep loved ones present through memory and tradition.

Día de Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a several-day joyful celebration of those who have crossed to the other side and includes an "ofrenda" or altar like this one set up at Island Hill Farm in 2023. - Contributed/Special to The Guardian

But Montero wanted to do more than honour this tradition in private. Last year, he began organizing a Día de Muertos event in P.E.I.

Together with Island Hill Farm, he recruited vendors, set up an altar, and hosted an open mic with traditional Latin music, inviting everyone — Mexicans and Canadians alike — to bring a photo of their loved ones to share.

This year, the party will be held on Nov. 2, as the first Saturday of November is to honour angelitos (the deceased children) and the second remembers the adults.

“I wanted to recreate a bit of what I grew up with in Mexico,” Montero said. “Where everyone, no matter who you were or where you came from, would come together to celebrate.”

Connecting cultures

For Abril Guardado, the co-ordinator of volunteers at the Immigrant amd Refugee Services Association (IRSA) in P.E.I., Día de Muertos also serves as a bridge back to her roots.

As she helps organize an event with IRSA and the Latin Association of P.E.I., Guardado sees this celebration as a way for immigrants to reconnect with their heritage while embracing a new home.

“When you’re an immigrant, you don’t feel fully from here, but somehow you don’t feel fully from there either,” Guardado said. “Celebrating these traditions keeps us grounded in who we are.”

Abril Guardado, the volunteer co-ordinator at IRSA P.E.I., is organizing an event in Charlottetown in celebration of Día de Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, together with the Latin Association of P.E.I. - Judith Mendiolea/Special to The Guardian

In her own home, she keeps an altar filled with photographs of her grandparents and even her husband’s dog Cadete, bringing a small piece of her past into the present.

Her children, born in Canada, will never know Mexico in the same way she did, but through these celebrations, she’s determined to teach them its warmth and traditions.

“Every year, we tell them the stories,” she says. “It’s how they’ll know where they come from.”

The celebration at IRSA will include food, live performances, and an open altar where clients can place a picture of their loved ones.

“I think the way we Mexicans see death is very different from the way the rest of the world sees it. We don’t fear it,” Guardado said. “Obviously, we don’t enjoy it when someone near and dear passes away. However, we do believe very much that they are at rest, that they are in the best place.”

She added, “It is not a philosophy or religious (belief). It is that you transcend. You finished what you were supposed to do here and it’s your turn to transcend.”

If you go

• Day of the Dead hosted by Diego Montero of Los Nopales will take place 5-9 p.m. Nov. 2 at Island Hill Farm, 351 Route 225, Hampshire, P.E.I.

• Admission is $20 at the door or by messaging Montero on his instagram account, @Losnopalespei

• IRSA P.E.I. will also hold an event for its clients only. For more information, search Eventbrite or contact your IRSA representative. Judith Mendiolea will be singing at this event.