Hundreds of people gathered at Civic Center Plaza outside Las Vegas City Hall on Sunday for a community Día de los Muertos celebration. The Mexican holiday, traditionally observed Nov. 1 and 2, honors deceased loved ones and celebrates their memory.
The event featured a middle school mariachi band and folkloric dancers in vibrant dresses. Martha Luevanos, who moved to Nevada from Ciudad Juárez 56 years ago, choreographed the dances, sewed the dresses, and taught the girls "to honor their culture and the traditions of their forefathers," according to her son, Gerardo Luevanos.
Gerardo Luevanos said the holiday acknowledges grief while celebrating "all the magic and beautiful memories that they gave us." Martha Luevanos, speaking through her son as translator, said the dances connect her to her home country and noted that before photos and recordings, stories were passed down verbally. She recalled visiting cemeteries in Mexico and feeling her loved ones "see us from above" and share in the happy mood.
Colorful ofrendas, or altars, displayed candles, candy skulls, and flowers, including one dedicated to pets who died this year. Food trucks sold tacos, churros, aguas frescas, and New Mexican cuisine, while a half-dozen small businesses offered goods such as rosaries and religious statuettes.
Erik Moreno Narciso, who has helped his mother Teresa Narciso run their business since his grandmother died in 2020, said the celebration helps him cope with grief by showing he is not alone. "Our time here on Earth is very short, and the only way we can really have an impact with our lives is to accept the people around us," he said. "It's just a way for us to stay connected, even if they are not physically with us."
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
English (US)·