Young people show up in their best Day of the Dead makeup.
Local performer Arturo Barajas plays his guitar for Day of the Dead.
The candlelight procession to the cemetery.
St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, constructed 1862, under the moonlight.
The cemetery paths are lined with candles for the observance.
In the wonderful little town of Hornitos, every year on Nov. 2, they celebrate All Souls Day.
This event is a combination of All Souls Day, a Catholic tradition, and a somewhat less exuberant version of the “Dia de los Muertos” or Day of The Dead celebration.
Hornitos, sometimes referred to as a ghost town, is anything but. It has somewhere around 40 residents — all of whom love their little town and want to preserve the rich history of the area.
Hornitos got its start in the mid 1800s, as a rowdy tent camp for Mexican miners and had a population of about 15,000 for a while. It was a one-time hangout for the famous and legendary Joaquin Murrieta. Wells Fargo had an office there and Domingo Ghiradelli sold goods to the miners for several years before moving to San Francisco, where Ghiradelli is still active in the chocolate business. Businesses that were built in the mid 1800s and are still active in Hornitos are the Plaza Bar built in 1854, Masonic Lodge built in 1855, St. Catherine’s Catholic Church constructed 1862 and Gagliardo’s Store which has recently reopened.
The Plaza bar has been owned and operated by the Ortiz family for over 60 years. Carlos and Richie Ortiz, were both raised in Hornitos. Richie still runs the bar and is always willing to talk about the history of the area.
Hornitos currently has a Post Office and a very active patrons club that sponsors many of the activities in Hornitos. They also have the hope of turning the closed Hornitos school building into a museum.
There are conflicting accounts of where the name Hornitos (Little Ovens) came from. Some think it is from the little ovens that the Mexican settlers used for cooking and others suggest it came from the above ground graves that were shaped like the ovens used in Mexico. Perhaps we will never know.
This story though, is about Hornitos and it’s All Souls Day celebration on Nov. 2 of each year. Around 400-500 people from all over California and beyond will gather in the Hornitos Plaza. These participants represent all beliefs and backgrounds and make the trip to Hornitos to take part in this 120+ year old ethereal experience.
As the plaza comes alive with this eclectic gathering of people you can feel the excitement growing. Friends, history buffs and anyone that wishes to honor the past are invited to join in the candlelight procession. This is an opportunity to visit with your new friends and talk about this unique and beautiful experience. Some are dressed in colorful clothes and others with faces painted to honor the dead. The local patrons club sells t-shirts and the Plaza bar is busy with customers while Arturo Barajas wanders among those gathered and plays and sings beautiful Mexican music on his guitar. He sings songs of the living to those who have passed. As darkness approaches and candles are being lit it is getting close to the time for the procession to wind its way from the music in the plaza to St. Catherine’s Church.
Led by the Catholic Bishop and as the church bell solemnly tolls the group quietly leaves the plaza and up the candle light lined hill towards the church and the cemetery, culminating in a final prayer at the grave of Dona Candelaria de Sapien. She was known as the keeper of the Mexican Dia de los Muertos tradition in Hornitos.
After the visit to the church and cemetery, a meal is available and provided by the Patrons Club at Stag Hall. A donation for the meal is appreciated.
Jim Cunningham and Flip Hassett are both retired, but they remain active in Merced County as community advocates, local history buffs and photographers.