DAY OF THE DEAD; CEMETERY SEES CULTURE CLASH.

Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer

To mark the Day of the Dead in Latino tradition, the Corralejo family gathered Friday at their son's grave to decorate it with things he loved most: his favorite toy truck, his stuffed Felix the Cat, candles and sweet bread.

But most of the items will have to be removed because the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has decided to enforce a rule that bans leaving such items on graves as part of Dia de los Muertos and most other holiday celebrations.

On Friday, cemetery workers handed out cards reminding families of the 20-year-old rule, which does not forbid people from leaving Christmas trees and other ornaments for Christmas and Easter.

``I have no idea why it limits it to the two holidays of Christmas and Easter other than to speculate that those are the two most important Christian holidays,'' said the Rev. Gregory Coiro, spokesman for the archdiocese, which serves 4 million Catholics - two-thirds whom are Latino.

``All Souls' Day (Monday) is officially on the church calendar, but that does not mean that every way it's commemorated is necessarily appropriate,'' said Coiro. ``Leaving food on graves is not a Christian tradition.''

Cemetery workers also said that Day of the Dead participants leave behind too much trash, and the candles left behind are fire hazards, not to mention the danger of broken glass.

On Friday, the eve of Day of the Dead, cultural experts criticized the archdiocese for having a double standard.

``In Mexican culture, Day of the Dead is a big thing and to prohibit (Latinos) from celebrating the dead in their own cemetery I find difficult to understand,'' said Jose Hernandez, an urban and Chicano studies professor at California State University, Northridge.

``I grew up with the kind of culture where we would spend the whole day at the cemetery,'' said Hernandez, a native of Eagle Pass, Texas. ``We had tamales . . . we had music, we had a celebration. I don't know why the Catholic Church would see it as a bad thing.''

In Mexico and Central America, families host all-night candlelight vigils during the two days of the holiday, complete with the favorite foods of their loved ones, candles and even music at the cemeteries. At midnight, church bells toll to announce the opening of the cemeteries and the opening to the other world.

Though not as popular as in Latin America, legions of Latinos in the United States have embraced this tradition, including the Corralejos, who celebrated it for the first time this year in honor of their son Kenneth.

While creating their son's altar at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery, the family was approached by a cemetery maintenance worker who handed them a notice outlining the archdiocese's policy.

Safety concerns

San Fernando Mission cemetery Manager Maria Orozco said the policy is in place for safety reasons. Candles can be fire hazards and glass objects can pose threats to both maintenance workers and patrons, she said.

``There are a lot of visitations and we're liable . . . that's why we have to put these controls,'' said Orozco, who allows patrons to decorate graves with fresh flowers only.

``If they do pray and bring decorations they can take it with them when they leave,'' Orozco said.

In East Los Angeles, local cemeteries refused to allow Self-Help Graphics to start their annual Day of the Dead procession from inside the cemetery a few years ago, according to the cultural art center's director Tomas Benitez.

``The drama, the spectacle, the group thing is probably what cemeteries find intimidating because they see this going on and they ask, Why are you having a party here?'' he said. ``It underscores the remaining cultural differences when it comes to the cemeteries.''

Although grave site visits are a normal part of American culture, cemeteries still have a macabre reputation in popular culture, Benitez said.

``In America, you certainly aren't going to go to the cemetery at night . . . where as in Mexico at night is when it's most beautiful to celebrate Day of the Dead,'' he said. ``In Mexico death is part of life, the cemetery is part of the environment.''

To adapt, Latinos in Los Angeles head to the cemeteries during the day or simply celebrate by heading to ceremonies hosted by art centers, Benitez said.

Sunday festival

The Corralejos will do both. Over the next two days they will create altars for their son at Mission College and at the Andres Pico Adobe, where the San Fernando Valley Latino Arts Council will host a Dia de los Muertos Festival on Sunday.

On Friday the family reminisced as they decorated his grave with pan de muerto, (bread of the dead), with a circular shape decorated with bones made of meringue to symbolize the circle of life and death. They also decorated the grave with orange and gold marigolds, whose pungent smell draws the dead, and with candles, which are used to illuminate the path of the souls as they return to Earth.

``Though he's gone, there's always the remembrance of what he did, of what he liked,'' said Rachel Corralejo, whose son died of AIDS last March at age 39.

The family remembered how their son always gave to charities, how he dedicated himself to folklorico dancing, how he had a fascination with history, how he always offered his help to others.

``He was a really giving person,'' said his sister Anna Jaramillo, 34. ``I just like the feeling that his spirit is here, guiding us.''

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) Anna Jaramillo and her brother Steven Corralejo decorate their brother Kenneth's grave.

(2) Kenneth Corralejo's family gathers Friday at his decorated grave at the San Fernando Mission to celebrate the Day of the Dead.

Andy Holzman/Daily News