Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles Flower District California Flower Mall the largest downtown LA flower market on San Pedro Street is open free to the public later weekday hours and weekends so Dia de Los Muertos alter builders can buy spirit attracting Flor de Muerto – the "Flower of the Dead” at discount, and wholesale prices up to 70 percent below retail for the November 1, and 2 Day of the Dead – Dia de Los Muertos holiday.
The Cempasúchitl marigold known as Flor de Muerto "Flower of the Dead" is a large bright orange marigold that blossoms on the hillsides of Mexico in October and November. The flower is said to aid deceased spirits to find their way back to join sweet, light hearted family gatherings honoring them. Other Dia de Los Muertos flower favorites are big white fluffy chrysanthemums, yellow marigolds, and red roses.
The sacred “Flower of the Dead” marigold is an important floral feature on colorful alters built by families to celebrate the unique details of their beloved deceased family member’s life. Alters are also designed to entice the deceased to join the Dia de Los Muertos family festivities. Traditional alters have photographs, trinkets, memorabilia, favorite religious saints, and favorite foods, and beverages of the deceased. Alter remembrances often celebrate the life of the departed by signifying what they loved in life — their profession, community, family, hobbies, and even pets. Those on this side of “the veil of life” are reminded that they too will one day pass to the other side where deceased relatives now reside. In parts of Mexico, and Southern California families often gather in cemeteries at the grave sites of the departed for an all night visit to pray, honor, and sometimes party with deceased loved ones.
Mirroring the holiday in Mexico, Los Angeles’ Dia de Los Muertos celebration is revered as an important Mexican heritage tradition. The holiday officially takes place on November 1st, and 2nd, in connection with the Catholic feast days of All Saints Day – November 1, and All Souls Day – November 2. The sweet, and light hearted celebration blends pre-Columbian sacred tradition with Catholicism. Southern California holiday traditions also include building private altars honoring the deceased with offerings of marigolds, sugar skulls, the favorite foods, and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.
Los Angeles’ public Dia de Los Muertos season celebrations begin at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery the weekend before November 1, and continues through November 2 with the creation of a public alter led by the East Side artistic community at Self Help Graphics and Arts, a nationally recognized Latino arts center now based in Boyle Heights that has hosted the annual Dia de Los Muertos celebration for 38 consecutive years. California Flower Mall wholesalers distribute 400,000 Cempasúchitl marigolds, and other Day of the Dead flower traditional favorites to families, and public festivals celebrating Dia de Los Muertos in Southern California.
Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years, and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl. In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries, and churches. In Spain, there are festivals, and parades, and, at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries, and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.
About The Los Angeles Flower District California Flower Mall:
Mark Chatoff is Owner, and President of The LA Flower District California Flower Mall, and past Chairman of The LA Fashion District Business Improvement District. Hilda Jimenez is The LA Flower District California Flower Mall Operations Manager. The LA Flower District California Flower Mall is the newest San Pedro Street premier 45,000sf wholesale flower market in the eight-block Downtown LA Flower District — the largest wholesale flower district in the U.S.
Source: Los Angeles Flower District California Flower Mall