Bristol families honor loved ones for Dia de Los Muertos
BRISTOL, Ind. -- Families gathered at the Elkhart County Historical Museum for the museum's third annual Día de Los Muertos Family Celebration.
"When you put the offerings and you see stuff on the altars, it's stuff that person truly loved and enjoyed. So, it's a way to welcome them back and tell them that we're still remembering them, and we have not forgotten them," said Jennifer Blouin Policelli, the Elkhart County Historical Museum Curator of Education.
The free afternoon event capped a week of community ofrendas, altars where visitors left photographs and favorite items of loved ones who have died.
Mariachi ECo, a multi-generational mariachi band, and Tierra Viva, a Mexican folkloric dance group, performed, and both draw members from Elkhart and St. Joseph counties.
"Death is something that, unfortunately, unites us all and so celebrating Día de Muertos is a way to acknowledge the circle of life and to see death as a part of life," a guest at the event.
Angela Lozano, part of Dia de Los Muertos committee said they want to dispel the misconception that the day is "Mexican Halloween," ""It's not about being scary and spooky it's about honoring traditions, family, love, faith, and everything, and just about being together, being united."
Annie Alvareado-Guillamin, a Dia de Los Muertos advisory committee member said she's honoring her family "I'm honoring my grandparents and one of my aunts when I was a little kid, I was making the atoles and all the traditional food with her, and it's like my way to honor her, putting that in the offering all those smells just bring me back home to my grandma and my aunt."
The Elkhart County Parks is hosting another event called the Grief Walk where this year it's just a bit more special, " This year at the Grief Walk, someone gave us a photograph of their deceased loved one and one of their most beloved items in life, which was a little mug and so we will carry that from year to year, keep placing that on the altar every year as we continue."