CELEBRATION TAKES ON A U.S. ACCENT ELECTION DAY TIMING ADDS A NEW SLANT.

Byline: Rachel Uranga Staff Writer

Falling on Election Day, Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead - is taking a uniquely American twist this year, with organizers planning commemorations and festivities with a decidedly political tone.

The pre-Hispanic celebration of the Meso-American people honoring the deceased will be marked with dozens of people gathered around altars while watching election return coverage in Sylmar, a march honoring soldiers and children fallen in Iraq, and with dozens of politically infused installations celebrating the day in East Los Angeles.

``We don't see a separation between the political world and our own spirituality,'' said Luis Rodriguez, co-founder of Tia Chucha's Cafe Cultural in Sylmar, where patrons who show a ballot stub on Tuesday will get a 10 percent discount. Rodriguez, an author of several novels, said the Iraq War, with more than 1,100 U.S. casualties, makes this year's Day of the Dead especially poignant.

Rodriguez expects dozens of people to come to the cafe on Tuesday to create a massive altar to loved ones who have passed on. They'll also be able to monitor election returns on televisions tuned in to the news.

``For us, it will be a combination of altar building and dialoguing,'' he said.

It is believed that on Dia de los Muertos, the dead return to visit. Elaborate altars are often built by relatives who leave items the deceased most enjoyed in life, from candy to books to tequila.

While the idea may seem macabre for many North Americans, it's considered a joyous time and a celebration of life in some Latin American countries. In Mexico and parts of Central America, it's common to decorate the dead's grave site and eat with them late at night.

``In Los Angeles, we have been reinterpreting the traditional Dia de los Muertos,'' said Christina Ocho, curator at Self-Help Graphics in East Los Angeles, which has held the city's longest-running celebration of the holiday.

``We have set the theme for contemporary expression ... and this is speaking exactly to what the climate is right now and what is surrounding us right now.''

The general election and Iraq War play prominently in this year's exhibits at Self-Help Graphics, where the displays include a papier-mache depiction of President George W. Bush sitting atop a military tank.

Organizers are also figuring out how to set up a television bank, so the election returns can be viewed by revelers who come to the exhibit and open-air market.

In Sylmar, La Raza Unida, a decades-old political group that has long hosted educational forums on Dia de los Muertos, will forgo its annual workshop on Saturday for a march dedicated to fallen soldiers in Iraq.

``This year we felt the war was too urgent to ignore so we combined Dia de los Muertos with a protest against the war,'' said Xenaro Ayala, national chair of La Raza Unida. ``This is a day about honoring the dead and we are recognizing that they are not just a casket or body bag.''

Rachel Uranga, [phone]

rachel.uranga(at)dailynews.com

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

Here is a list of events for Dia de los Muertos:

--Tia Chucha's Cafe Cultural hosts ``Recuerdos Altar & Art Exhibit'' at 12737 Glenoaks Blvd., Suite 22, Sylmar, noon-5 p.m. daily through Nov. 13. Information: [phone] or go to www.tiachucha.com.

--Olvera Street merchants host entertainment and altars, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. today and Sunday and 2-9:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. A candlelight procession dedicated to the dead will be held at 6:30 p.m. daily. Information: [phone] or www.calleolvera.com

--Festival de la Gente displays a collection of giant papier mache puppets, along with crafts, food, and artisans, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. today along the historic 6th Street Bridge between Mateo and Soto streets in East Los Angeles. Information: [phone] or www.festivaldelagente.com.

--Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe, 2122 W. 7th Street, Los Angeles, will host a festival featuring outdoor altars and art workshops, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. today. Information: [phone] or www.mamas-hot-tamales.com.

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DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (see text)