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As the fall season rolls in and cold temperatures grace the borderland, the holiday season once again greets us. With the spooky season ending, Dia De Los Muertos, a Mexican holiday about remembrance and celebration of life reminded the community of their loved ones.
At Ardovinos Desert Crossing, the holiday was embraced with a beautiful and intimate night market that was open to the public.
Citizens across El Paso showed up to the night market Nov. 1 to support local vendors and celebrate Dia De Los Muertos as a community.
Along with the celebration of life, the night market consisted of music for everyone to enjoy.
The night market contained a wide variety of vendors from delicious treats to eclectic jewelry and handbags. As citizens viewed the market, the ofrenda, or an altar of beacons for everyone to see, the altars stood tall\ with pictures of loved ones, numerous candles and bright papel picado.
The special holiday is an opportunity to remember and commemorate the lives of departed loved ones. El Pasoan Paola Chavez says Dia De Los Muertos means more than just a celebration to her.
“It’s a day of remembrance, it’s about keeping their memory alive on this precious day,” Chavez said.
Flowers play an intricate roll for Dia De Los Muertos, especially the cempasúchil, a type of marigold flower native to Mexico. One special booth had a ravishing collection of flowers for a great affordable price. The owner of ‘Ay Poppy Flowers’ Bridgette Tena talks about her growing business.
“This is just my way of making it more affordable and accessible to more people, especially people who love flowers and don’t necessarily have the budget or finances for fresh flowers,” Tena said.
Tena also talked about how she defines the holiday.
“It’s a chance to remember loved ones who have passed on and bring back the good memories but also grieve them on a day where you are grieving with other people all while celebrating their life as a community,” Tena said.
Something for everyone, it was a space for the city to come together and be a real community. The night market appealed to all audiences to show up and give the opportunity to influence people more about the traditions.
El Pasoan Saundra Anderson mentions how she is diving more into the culture and what the special occasion means to her.
“Actually, I’m new to it,” Anderson said. “I didn’t know much about it other than watching movies like ‘Coco’ but just the Mexican culture of it is interesting, intriguing and I think it’s beautiful, so I wanted to check it out.”
As the night continued, citizens lingered with smiles enjoying everything offered. Although the ‘Noche de Muertos’ night market came to an end, the memory of loved ones lives long.
Marco Hinojosa is the audience and engagement editor and may be reached at [email protected].
