Families got extra time this Día de los Muertos to celebrate their loved ones at a popular San Jose cemetery after criticisms were made in 2023 for closing the graveyard early.
Hundreds came to Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park on Saturday to pay respects to their loved ones. Among them were Ana Quintero and her sisters, who came to honor the memory of their late father.
"That's the only way we're gonna keep them alive," Quintero said.
Families played music, displayed pictures, laid out traditional marigold flowers and shared memories.
Quintero said her father loved to dance to mambo and cumbia. Honoring his memory makes her feel like her dad is still with her, she said.
"When I came into my house, I felt like a little air behind me, like when a person walks next to you," she said.
In 2023, the cemetary closed its gate around 5 p.m. due to security concers that led to police getting involved, Oak Hill said.
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Families and community activists have since worked with cemetery officials to extend the hours through 8 p.m.
'"[For] people that don't need to come to the cemetery, enjoy your loved ones because life is too short, and then when you least expect it, they're gone," Quintero said.
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