For many North Texans Día de los Muertos is very personal, it’s a time to honor and remember loved ones that have passed. One woman shares the emotional tribute behind her Día de Los Muertos altar.
Dia De Los Muertos is a special holiday for many North Texans.
"It's just a celebration bringing the memory back every single year," said Irisi Candelaria-Feuer who celebrates Dia De Los Muertos.
She shared what it's really all about.
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"Dia De Los Muertos is not like Halloween,” Candelaria-Feuer said. “It's completely different. It's our culture. It's our traditions. It's where we come from. It's not a theme, it's an every year cultural celebration that we embrace."
A celebration of loved ones that have passed away.
Part of the remembrance is creating an ornate altar dedicated to their memory.
Candelaria-Feuer has done altars in the past dedicated to celebrities. But this year she is much more emotionally attached to her altar.
"It will be a year to the date that I lost my baby and two weeks ago I lost my mother-in-law,” Candelaria-Feuer said. “So, this was very important for me to do this year to honor their memory and the life that they lived."
On her altar is a sonogram of her baby girl who passed before she was born.
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There are also pictures of her mother-in-law and items that she loved like her coffee.
Something else seen throughout her altar are butterflies she says represents her child and mother-in-law.
"When they passed they would just fly around us,” Candelaria-Feuer said. “They would be on our flowers. For me, I feel in my heart that is them showing us that they are okay and they are still with us."
Candelaria-Feuer explains the altars are built in a way to welcome their loved ones' spirit.
"So, the pathway it's with flueres cempasúchil which is a native flower of Mexico,” Candelaria-Feuer said. It's colorful, aromatic and it helps the spirits find their way."
She says this is a way to honor the dead and at the same time help those who are still here missing their loved ones.
"This is a way for us and how we deal with loss and how we deal with the loss of our loved ones,” Candelaria-Feuer said. “It really does help you personally, emotionally, mentally and it's just a great way for you to celebrate their lives."
