For over three decades, 69-year-old Estela Ayala Cermeño has dedicated her life to building Día de los Muertos altars for public display. In the past three years, she has also built those traditional Mexican ofrendas to honor her deceased family members, heroes and furry friends at the annual Día de los Muertos Festival in the City of San Fernando.
Last Saturday, Ayala and her husband, Santiago Montes, from Sylmar, were among several valley families that set up altares at the city’s festival at Recreation Park.
Ofrendas, the vibrant altars central to Día de Muertos celebrations on Nov. 1 and 2, are elaborate displays honoring deceased loved ones. These altars, which fuse Aztec and Catholic traditions, are not for worship but rather serve as a joyful invitation for the spirits of the departed to rejoin the living. They are decorated with symbolic offerings, including favorite foods and drinks, personal belongings, photographs, candles and marigolds.
East LA and the Valley
“I’ve been doing altars for 35 years for a group of Aztec dancers from East LA called Xipec Totec,” she said. “It was one of my main responsibilities for the Day of the Dead, along with dancing.”
Her age and aching knees now prevent her from joining the physically demanding dances. However, she still joins the group carrying the copal, a tree resin used as a smoky incense, at the beginning of the indigenous ceremonial dancing.
“And I’m still creating ofrendas for the Aztec dancers and now for San Fernando, too,” she said.
Ayala transformed her altar, measuring approximately 9 feet high and 12 feet long, into three sections to honor her deceased loved ones, eagerly sharing stories with those willing to listen.
The makeshift shrine overflowed with over 20 images, featuring her paternal grandparents, mother, numerous cousins and cherished family friends.
The right section displayed nearly half a dozen photos of her mother’s family. She pointed to three pictures of women and explained, “These are my mom, my abuelita and a tía.” She continued, “My mom is from a place called San Miguel de Allende, which is a famous historical city in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.” She added, “My grandma was 100% Otomi Indian, and that’s where our family gets our Indigenous roots.”
At the altar’s heart, her father’s photograph took center stage. “He was an American citizen, born in the U.S., a soldier who served this country in World War II, standing proudly between the American and Mexican flags,” she said.
Heroes on Both Sides of the Border
The heroes section showcased photographs of Joaquin Murrieta, a Mexican figure known as the Robin Hood of the West, who lived during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s. Other featured heroes included Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, Genaro Vázquez Rojas, and Lucio Cabañas, all from Mexico, as well as prominent Chicano activists Cesar Chávez and Corky González.
“Those figures truly fought for the people,” Ayala stated. “I even have a photo of Che Guevara,” she added, pointing out the Argentinian guerrilla leader who played a pivotal role in the Cuban Revolution.
Ayala’s altar also prominently featured photographs of her beloved cats and dogs. She confirmed, “I also honor my little animals.”
A Very Large Extended Family
Nearby, approximately 30 members of Areli Chairez’s extended family gathered around their altar, which displayed numerous photos of loved ones who have passed. The altar was decorated with dozens of marigold flowers, candles, skulls and vibrant pieces of papel picado, the traditional Mexican folk art consisting of banners made from perforated tissue paper.
For Chairez, 29, from Mission Hills, her involvement in the Day of the Dead tradition began in high school in 2011.
“It was a project at Arleta High School to create an altar on campus that welcomed students’ family members,” she recalled. “My parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all came together for that occasion.”
This altar was Chairez’s first, but it would be the first of many for her and other family members, most of whom live in Panorama City.
“Now that I think about it, it all started because of me,” she said.
Growing Up Making Altars
“This year marks the third time we’ve participated in this festival,” said Ernest Linares, 40, of Northridge, who brought about 17 relatives to help create the altar at Recreation Park. He explained that he and his siblings grew up making small ofrendas at home. After his sister’s passing over two years ago, he chose to honor her at this festival.
This year’s festival showcased poetry, live music and cultural performances. “This celebration has grown bigger and bigger,” he stated.
Linares also expressed hope that the Día de los Muertos folklore will help preserve the centuries-old tradition of honoring the departed while providing strength to those left behind. He emphasized, “Life is what keeps us going … this is what keeps us alive.
“I tell people all the time that the only way to live forever is in the memories and hearts of the people you touch,” he said. “I dream that those who experience this will continue this tradition, [that] my nieces and nephews, my sister’s children, will witness this and want to carry on this tradition once I’m gone.”