Dia de Los Muertos /Day of the Dead

loved ones remembered at Juntos event

October 30, 2025

By: Miurlin Escalante

Community members placing photos of loved ones in their honor on Dia de Los Muertos in Basin City.

On Friday, October 24, members of the community gathered to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) thanks to a newly formed group, “Juntos Basin City.” They met at the Event Center located at 7340 Rd 170. It was one of their monthly get-togethers that Juntos puts on for the community. The group was started by Cricelia Calderon, Elena Calderon, Brenda Vasquez, and Maria de Jesus Alvarado. These ladies saw a need for community togetherness and decided to do something about it. 

Guests were greeted with Mexican sweet bread and hot chocolate, canela (hot cinnamon tea), and other sweet treats as they entered the decorated center and made their way to the ‘Altar’ with photos of loved ones passed. The rest of the room was decorated with posters, each filled with information about why Dia de Los Muertos is celebrated, what each symbol represents, and what is performed on each day, starting on Oct. 27 and ending on Nov 3.

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that honors and celebrates loved ones who have passed away. It’s observed mainly on November 1 and 2 but the celebration starts on October 27. It is not a sad time though, it is a celebration. It is believed that is the time when loved ones that have passed, come and visit. There are also a variety of rituals that go along with the holiday but they vary with the regions and religions. 

The Altar was beautifully decorated by community member, Sandra Cornejo, who has her own decorating business, and was adorned by those present. There was a pathway made out of shredded orange tissue paper on the floor with mini skulls to lead the path to the Altar. The orange tissue represents the marigolds that normally are laid out for loved ones on Dia de Los Muertos. There were photos of grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, and even pets no longer with us but dearly missed by those left behind. There was plenty of conversation around the room while a mix of music played in the background as everyone enjoyed their treats. 

As the event continued, Brenda Vasquez, one of Juntos’ leaders, went to the front of the room and thanked everyone for attending and participating that evening. She also emphasized the importance of community coming together, regardless of background. “Don’t let the language barrier stop you from coming to these events. We have more commonalities than differences, trust me,” Brenda encouraged attendees. She then asked for anyone that had placed a photo at the Altar to go up and share a story or memory they had of their loved one. At first, everyone was shy, so Cricelia Calderon, one of the other Juntos leaders, went up to break the ice and get the crowd comfortable. It got very emotional and the room hushed as she shared with emotion about the family members no longer here and how she lives to make them proud.  

Brenda went next, sharing a story about her dad and how that affected their family and subsequently placed her grandmother in her life. Her grandmother became their hero and now, she sits on the Altar. She was 99 when she passed, so the family is planning on doing something special on her birthday this year to commemorate what would have been her 100th birthday. 

After the leaders, those in the crowd got comfortable enough to share. One by one, they started going up, getting the picture of their loved one to show the group, and sharing stories and memories of childhoods or special holidays. Some got sentimental and others told funny stories. Through the stories, they shared that some had passed peacefully, while others of old age. Community member, Leticia, shared about her maternal grandmother. “I like to remember only the good memories and the time I spent with her,” Leticia told the crowd, holding back tears. 

The Graphic’s 2024 Furry Friends of Franklin winner, Messi, was also remembered by his owner, Lorena. She stated that he was the sweetest dog ever and the greatest companion. He is greatly missed by his family who immensely loved him, especially his mom. 

Sister Hansen shared an emotional and teary eyed tidbit about her grandmother who passed away earlier this year. She got a bit choked up but Brenda was by her side to lend some support and a warm hug. Sister Hansen stated that her faith keeps her strong because she knows she will “see grandma again one day.”

Brenda thanked everyone who shared a story or memory. She stressed the importance of coming together as a community. She highlighted the fact that Juntos is focusing on bringing the community together. “Instead of looking at what our differences are, we want to focus on what our similarities are,” Brenda shared with the event goers. As they were getting ready to move on to the next event of the night, Brenda encouraged everyone to move seats and sit with someone that they didn’t know or didn’t know well and start a conversation to get to know each other. Surprisingly, the majority of the room got up and switched seats. 

As the group learned how to make flowers and papel picado (Mexican snowflakes) out of tissue paper, conversations were being had all around the room. People that normally wouldn’t interact, were having fun making their crafts as they got to know little tidbits about each other. Brenda and Cricelia were busy the whole evening hosting, translating, serving, and themselves participating in the night’s events. Maria Alvarado, the other leader, had to work that day but still made time to make it to the event straight from work. 

As the evening was coming to a close and people were beginning to leave, they got a parting gift, as they do at each event. This month, since the weather is getting cooler, the giveaway was beanies and gloves. Everyone got to pick out their own set before going home. 

At the end of the night, it was noticeable that everyone had enjoyed their time and the refreshments served. Juntos gets together for an event every month at the Event Center. Be on the lookout for the flyers they post and share throughout Basin City and word of mouth for the next event. “Everyone is welcome,” Brenda reiterated, “We want the community to come out and enjoy each other’s company and get to know each other more. We have more in common than you think.”