Thousands Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, at Hollywood Forever

Thousands of people came on Saturday, November 2nd, for the annual Day of the Dead - Dia de Los Muertos - celebration at Hollywood Forever cemetery. It is the 14th annual celebration at this historic cemetery in the heart of Hollywood, and attracted thousands.

Day of the Dead is a celebration of the deceased, celebrated in Mexico and throughout the world. Families build private altars appointed with ofrendas- symbolic artwork made with sugar skulls and marigolds and more. Rather than run from death, they celebrate it, and create colorful costumes and altars to celebrate the lives of those they loved. 

The celebration here went from 12 noon to midnight, featuring a great profusion of food vendors offering delicious meals and snacks all day long, plus great music. The headliner on their main stage this year was the legendary former lead singer of the bands Caifanes and Jaguares, Saul Hernandez. 

This year's theme was El Magico Mundo de Los Alebrijes - The Magical World of Alebrijes. Alebrijes are beautifully chromatic Mexican folk art sculptures of surreal creatures.

Hollywood Forever is the oldest cemetery in Hollywood, and was built before the movies came to town, in 1899. Paramount built its studio, as did RKO, on unpopulated ground belonging to the cemetery. It is the final resting place of countless Hollywood luminaries, from Cecil B. DeMille and Valentinto through Peter Lorre, Peter Finch, Douglas Fairbanks and Tyrone Powers, as well as more recent stars, such as Johnny Ramone. 

As a photographer and lover of Hollywood history, it's by far my  favorite event to photograph all year, as this intersection of life and death, joy and sorrow, and history and modern times, presents the camera with fantastic and poignant visuals, a treat to photograph and experience.Thanks to Patch and Hollywood Forever for letting me do it again.