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WE HAVE TONYA AS PART OF THE
CELEBRATION IN ST. PAUL.
TELL US ABOUT IT.
ONE OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS IS
IT'S LIKE A HALLOWEEN.
IT'S A HOLIDAY IN MEXICO
THAT CELEBRATES THE HONORS OF
OUR DECEASED ONES.
IT'S NOT A SAD HOLIDAY.
THIS IS A CELEBRATION.
WE WANT OUR ANCESTORS TO KNOW
WE'RE MISSING THEM AND TELLING
THE STORY REMEMBERING WHO THEY
ARE.
YOU HAVE BROUGHT IN AFRIENDA.
SO WE HAVE THINGS THAT
REPRESENT THE PERSON THEY WERE
WHEN THEY WERE WITH US.
FOODS THAT THEY LIKED.
SUGAR SPELLS REPRESENT THE
PERSON WHO PASSED AWAY.
I SEE THE DOUBLE MINT AND
BANANAS.
IS THAT SOMETHING PEOPLE WILL
SET UP IN THEIR OWN HOMES?
YES.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN PLACES.
YOU SET IT UP IN YOUR HOME.
I LOVE YOUR MAKEUP.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS PART
OF THE TRADITION AS WELL?
IT IS.
THE MAKEUP REPRESENTS -- I HAVE
MINE PAINTED HALFWAY AND IT
REPRESENTS BOTH HONORING LIFE
AND DEATH.
WITHOUT DEATH YOU CAN'T LIVE A
FULL LIFE.
IS THIS SOMETHING YOU GROW
UP AND EVERY SINGLE YEAR IT'S
SOMETHING YOU CELEBRATE.
SO KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY,
THIS IS HOW YOU PRESERVE THE
CULTURE.
SPEAKING OF YOUR FAMILY YOU
HAVE SOME OF YOUR FAMILY.
MY DAD AND MY SON.
IS DANCE PART OF THE
CELEBRATION AS WELL?
DANCE IS A MAJOR PART OF THE
CELEBRATION AND THAT WOULD BE
PART OF THE FESTIVITIES COMING
UP THIS WEEKEND.
FANTASTIC.
YOU HAVE A BIG CELEBRATION THAT
OTHER PEOPLE CAN JOIN IN,
RIGHT?
YES.
COMING UP THIS SATURDAY AT
ST. PAUL'S WEST SIDE.
THE EVENT STARTS AT 10 A.M.
AND AT HUMBLE HIGH SCHOOL.
YES.
ARE THEY PREPARED THIS
MORNING?
THEY ARE.
LET'S SEE.
I LOVE IT.
7 AND 16.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?
LOTS HAVE YOU FUN.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN THIS
MORNING AND SHARING A LITTLE
BIT OF YOUR CULTURE THIS
MORNING.
I LOVE THE DRUMS.
IT'S AWESOME.
THEY WAKE YOU UP ON THIS
TUESDAY MORNING.
THERE WE GO.
GOT A LITTLE OVERCONFIDENT
WITH THE STICKS.
HE'S GOT IT, NOW.
DOES HE DO THE WATER BOTTLE
TO WORK ON THIS NOVEMBER 1st.
WE CELEBRATED HALLOWEEN BUT THE
CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE.
ABSOLUTELY.
FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS THE
LATINO COMMUNITY IS PAYING
TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO DIED.
IT'S CALLED DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
OR DAY OF THE DEAD.
IT'S A FESTIVE EVENT, NOT A SAD
ONE.
TONYA ESPINOSA IS HERE.
IT'S ABOUT A CELEBRATION, NOT
ABOUT SADNESS.
YEAH.
ORIGINALLY THIS HOLIDAY STARTED
IN MEXICO ABOUT 3,000 YEARS AGO
AND IT WAS BEFORE THE SPANISH
CONQUEST.
SO ON THESE DAYS WE CELEBRATE
AND HONOR AND REMEMBER OUR
LOVED ONES WHO HAVE PASSED ON.
ORIGINALLY IT WAS 40 DAYS, 20
DAYS FOR THE CHILDREN AND 20
DAYS FOR EVERYONE ELSE.
AND IT WAS ABOUT AUGUST OR
SEPTEMBER WHEN THEY DID IT.
NOW IT'S NOVEMBER 1st AND
2nd.
IT'S A MAJOR PART OF DIA DE LOS
MUERTOS.
IT'S A STORY OF THE PERSON WHO
HAS PASSED ON, FAMILY MEMBER,
FRIEND OR JUST SOMEONE YOU
RESPECTED.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS, THIS
IS YOUR FATHER AND I NEVER MET
HIM BUT IT'S FUN TO LOOK AT
THIS LAND GET PIECES OF WHO HE
WAS.
I SEE CHEWING GUM, TEQUILA, BAN
NANNA -- BANANAS.
HIS FAVORITE THINGS.
AND THE SUGAR SKULLS, WHAT
DO THEY REPRESENT.
IT REPRESENTS THE PERSON WHO
PASSED AWAY.
IS THAT ALSO THE FACE PAINT?
THE FACE PAINT, THE
REPRESENTATION OF LIFE AND
DEATH.
HALF HONORS LIFE AND HALF
HONORS DEATH.
YOU HAVE THE HALF AND YOUR
SON HAS THE FULL MAKEUP.
THEY WILL BE DOING A DANCE FOR
US.
IT'S A MAJOR PART OF OUR
CELEBRATION, THE TRADITIONAL
AZTEC CEREMONIED THE DANCES
THAT GO WITH IT.
THEY WILL BE PART OF THE
CEREMONY.
HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN
DANCING?
SINCE THEY WERE -- SINCE
THEY CAME OUT OF MY WOMB.
DANCING?
YES.
CAN WE SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A
PREVIEW?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
WELL DONE.
I LOVE IT.
SO IF OTHERS WANT TO COME OUT
AND LEARN MORE OR BE A PART OF
THE CELEBRATION, I KNOW YOU
HAVE SOMETHING COMING UP THIS
SATURDAY.
IT WILL BE IN ST. PAUL'S WEST
SIDE.
THEY WILL BE THERE UNTIL 4:00
AT HUM BOLD HIGH SCHOOL.
WHAT ELSE WILL THERE BE.
ACTIVITIES, DECORATING SUGAR
SKULLS, MASK MAKING, PINATA AND
FREE FOOD.
WONDERFUL.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE SO MUCH FUN.
DON'T YOU LOVE IT.
7 YEARS OLD AND 16 AND SO
TALENTED.
YOU GUYS ARE GREAT.
IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE THE
CULTURE.