HOUSTON — Día de los Muertos is an opportunity for families to connect the past to the present. The tradition, which is rooted in Mexican culture, celebrates people who have passed away. In English, it translates to "Day of the Dead" and celebrations can happen privately in a person’s home with an altar of photos, food, drinks and flowers or it can happen publicly at the person’s grave.
Día de los Muertos is customarily celebrated from Nov. 1 through Nov. 2. But Houstonians seized Saturday’s sunny and cool weather to begin celebrating family and friends.
“This is my son. This is my older son,” said Jenifer Castro as she stood over the gravestone for her son Nathan Noel Veracastro.
Castro’s children, siblings and mother helped to decorate Nathan’s final resting place with candies, bright flowers and toys. The Castro family got a two-day jump-start on Día de los Muertos.
“We bring him chicken nuggets every year because that was his favorite,” Castro said.
The hope for the Mexican holiday is that a deceased person’s favorite things will encourage their soul to visit the alter or grave so they can hear the prayers and words from the living.
“It’s just the remembering. Even if it was the smallest time, you remember them,” said Castro who lost her son when he was just 9-months old. “He was an itty bitty baby,” who died 11 years ago this October.
“So we believe they’re here,” Castro said as she wiped away tears so she could explain this year’s message to her son. “Just that we love him and we’ll never forget him.”
The Day of the Dead connects the past with the present.
“You know, show our kids how important our family is to one another,” Castro’s older sister Valerie Martinez said.
Martinez will join her family at Nathan’s grave this weekend.
“We can grieve for so much, but it’s also a time for you to remember and reflect on the things that they did,” she said.
Baby Nathan once carved pumpkins with his family, so every Día de los Muertos, they carve pumpkins with him.
Eleven years after his death, “it’s still brand new,” Castro said. “But you know, this is, this is what comforts us. It comforts me. It comforts my daughter.”
Día de los Muertos comforts families that get one more day with loved ones gone, but not forgotten.