Dia de los Muertos altar remembers Montecito mudflow victims

A special Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar in Santa Barbara has been designed to remember loved ones and friends who have passed away this year, including the 23 victims of the Montecito mudflow.

Patricia Moo has it in front of her Perfect Fit store at 1230 Coast Village Road. It was created with her friend Isabel Loen.

“We still remember all of our friends that we lost,” said Moo. Touching her heart she said, “I just don’t really know how to explain to you how you feel in here about all this.”

She is emotionally invested in her altar which has pictures of her mother and father. Passersby have stopped to pay their respects.

“They ask me are ‘all these candles in the name of the people that we lost?’ I say yes. And they pause and say a prayer. Everybody is welcomed to come and say a prayer and see Hispanic culture. They are more than welcomed to come over here.”

The altar also known as an Ofrenda has candles, pictures of loved ones and those who were significant in the life of the designer. And it has food in different areas.

“It is to honor them and to remember. My family every year on the day of the dead we make an altar and then we cook the food they used to like,” said Moo.

A special incense from the Yucatan burns specifically for this tradition. The orange marigold flowers and the bed of petals are also traditional for the day of the dead.

Children on Halloween coming by for candy also took time to see the display.

“I was surprised that a few of them really knew of the traditions,” said Moo.

This tradition can impact people in vastly different ways by what they see, and what they feel.

“There was one lady her eyes were watering, ” said Moo. She assures them, as the picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe looks down on this altar “everything is going to be alright. For all these people that we just lost. I encourage everybody to say a prayer. I know in heaven they are in a better place. We miss them we always will.”