As our 30 Days of Hoodoo Heritage comes to a close, we look at three traditions that honor the dead, what sets them apart, what connects them, and how we can make room for one another.
Every October, we spend 30 days honoring Hoodoo Heritage: the roots, the rootworkers, and the knowledge that was carried, hidden, protected, and passed down so that it could reach us today. And every year, we close those 30 days the same way. We turn toward the ones who made it possible.
On Sunday, November 1st, we celebrate Ancestor Day.
This time of year is full of remembrance. Many of our neighbors are building ofrendas for Día de los Muertos. Churches across the city are marking All Saints' Day. In Hoodoo and across the African Diaspora, ancestor reverence is part of daily life, not a single date. When all of these land in the same season, it's worth slowing down to understand each one and to see how much they have in common.
Ancestor Reverence in Hoodoo and the African Diaspora
In Hoodoo, the ancestors are not a distant memory. They are family. They are guides, protectors, teachers, and the reason many of us are here at all.
This way of relating to the dead comes from West and Central African traditions, where the living and the ancestors stay in relationship. Enslaved Africans carried that understanding with them. Even when so much was taken from them, the practice of remembering, feeding, and speaking with the dead survived. It was often woven quietly into Christian practice, family customs, and everyday habits.
Many practitioners keep an ancestor altar at home. It might hold photographs, a glass of fresh water, a white candle, flowers, a favorite food or drink, or objects that belonged to a loved one. The altar is a place to say their names, share news, ask for guidance, and give thanks.
At TES, Ancestor Day is our way of gathering that everyday reverence into one shared day, as a community.
All Saints' Day
All Saints' Day is a Christian feast observed on November 1st, most widely in Catholic, Anglican, and many Protestant churches. It honors all the saints, both those officially recognized and the countless faithful whose names were never recorded.
It's followed by All Souls' Day on November 2nd, a day to pray for and remember all who have died, especially family members. In many communities, people visit cemeteries, clean and decorate graves, light candles, and attend special services.
For many Black families in the South and beyond, these church traditions and ancestral practices have long lived side by side. The grandmother who went to Mass and also kept a glass of water out for the dead was not confused. She was carrying more than one inheritance at once.
Día de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is celebrated primarily in Mexico and by Mexican and Mexican American communities, typically from October 31st through November 2nd. It blends Indigenous Mesoamerican traditions of honoring the dead with the Catholic calendar of All Saints' and All Souls' Days.
Families build ofrendas, altars filled with photographs, candles, marigolds (cempasúchil) whose bright color and scent are said to help guide spirits home, pan de muerto, sugar skulls, papel picado, and the favorite foods and drinks of loved ones. In many traditions, November 1st is dedicated to children who have passed and November 2nd to adults.
It is not a mournful holiday. It is a reunion, full of music, food, color, and joy.
What Makes Them Different
Each tradition has its own roots, its own language, and its own way of seeing the relationship between the living and the dead.
All Saints' Day centers the communion of saints within Christian faith and is often expressed through prayer and church services. Día de los Muertos is a cultural celebration rooted in Indigenous Mexican traditions, focused on welcoming loved ones home for a visit. Ancestor reverence in Hoodoo and the Diaspora is an ongoing relationship, practiced throughout the year, where the ancestors are actively honored and consulted.
These differences matter. Each tradition belongs to the people who carried it, and we honor them best by learning about them rather than blending them into one.
What They Share
And still, look at how much they have in common.
Every one of these traditions says the same thing: the people we've lost are not gone from us. Their names are worth saying out loud. Their photos deserve a place of honor. Their favorite foods are worth cooking. Candles are lit so they can find their way. Altars are built so they know they are remembered.
Across cultures and continents, people have come to the same understanding. Love does not end at death, and remembering is a sacred act.
Making Space for One Another
We live in a city where all of these traditions are our neighbors. That is a gift.
Coming together doesn't mean giving up what's yours. It means holding your own practice with confidence while being curious and respectful about someone else's. It means asking questions before assuming. It means making room at the table, and on the altar, for people whose grief and gratitude look a little different from our own.
Spirituality is personal. Remembrance is universal. There is space for all of it.
Join Us: Ancestor Day Celebration
We invite you to close out 30 Days of Hoodoo Heritage with us.
Sunday, November 1st
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Elemental Shop, 312 Elm Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802
Come in anytime during our regular hours to visit our ancestor altars and spend time in reflection, remembrance, and gratitude.
If you feel called, you're welcome to bring something for your own ancestors: a copy of a photograph, flowers, a written note, a favorite food or drink, or an offering from your own tradition. We'll make space on our altars so your loved ones can be honored alongside ours.
From 3 to 5 p.m., join us for a special presentation through the Spirit of Movement, an afternoon of performance and demonstration honoring ancestral wisdom.
Whether you practice Hoodoo, celebrate Día de los Muertos, observe All Saints' Day, or are simply looking for a place to remember someone you love, you belong here.
Come as you are. Bring their names with you.