Prior to his role as executive chef at Toro, Padilla was a culinary trainer for Richard Sandoval Hospitability. He helped open more than 15 new restaurants in the United States, Dubai, Qatar, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Padilla also has a passion for training aspiring chefs, never forgetting his Mexican roots and traditions. 

“A lot of people are so scared of death,” he said, “but in Mexico, we celebrate with the dead. It’s to celebrate and share and be happy because at some point you are in communion again. You remember your family and you’re there on that day.”

Día de los Muertos is celebrated November 1-2 every year primarily in Mexico, but also by others around the world including some in the United States. The holiday is rooted in Aztec culture, where the dead are the guests of honor. The ceremony is like a family reunion that helps people remember the deceased and celebrate their memory.

Through the years, people have developed different combinations of the fundamental traditions, which most often include setting up a candlelit altar so spirits can find their way back to their relatives. The altar includes food and items that were important to the one who passed. Families then often gather in the graveyard for a big party that includes a huge feast, cleaning the tombstones, singing songs and talking to their ancestors. 

“It’s something we need to respect, and we want to share it not only with the people in Mexico, but we want to share it with everybody around the world,” said Padilla.

Julio Sandoval is a multimedia journalist with Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at juliosandoval@rmpbs.org.