Dia de los Muertos

In this story, producer Anayansi Diaz-Cortes looks to find meaning during this year's Day of the Dead celebration.

In Mexico, Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is an important national holiday where people honor their loved ones that passed away by throwing them a party. The celebration is a tradition inherited from the country's pre-Hispanic past. It falls on November 2.

These days, it has become a holiday celebrated in the US, especially in bigger cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. For millions of Angelinos, it is an invaluable tradition equal to that of Christmas or Thanksgiving.

This story was produced by Anayansi Diaz-Cortes and Eric Pearse Chavez with help from Ronny Mikkelson and photographer Lourdes Almeida. Sonic Trace is part of Localore and the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR). It’s funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The project is co-produced by Zeega, a nonprofit inventing new forms of interactive storytelling.