It was a breezy October day in Tijuana, and the papel picado danced in the wind.
KPBS was given special access to one of Tijuana’s seasonal treasures, the Día de Muertos ofrenda at Mercado Hidalgo.
Martha Isabel Estrada Ramírez said that on Oct. 15, 1955, her grandfather helped found Mercado Hidalgo, and for 70 years, traditional Mexican offerings have delighted customers.
This is the time of year to honor those who have passed.
“We try to ensure that only members of the market are honored on the ofrenda. On Nov. 2, we celebrate with Mass and a pre-Hispanic dance,” Estrada said.
For about 25 years, the shopkeepers have built a Día de Muertos ofrenda. It started small but has grown to fill the gazebo in the center of the market's large parking lot.
Estrada said this is a celebration of life through the acknowledgment of death.
“We're not praying to death; we're living for our deceased to be at peace, to be calm. It's the hope that one day they'll be well. And there's a phrase we use a lot here in Mexico: they only leave when we don't remember them,” Estrada said.
As a third-generation shopkeeper at Mercado Hidalgo, Estrada said the Ofrenda reminds her how hard her grandfather worked to create a business that still supports her family 70 years later.
“It is with love, it is remembering with love what their teachings left us. For example, here in the market, they left us a source of work, because they all contributed to us continuing to work here in the market. Many gave of their youth, their time, their old age, forging what the market is today,” Estrada said.
Across Mexico and in theborder region, Día de Muertos ofrendas honor loved ones who have died, a tradition that continues to grow in popularity worldwide.
Mercado Hidalgo's altar will be up through Nov. 3.
