You’re dead to me

Dia de los Muertos, said with the proper Spanish accent, rolls off the tongue like a shirt falls off Matthew McConaughey. But getting the correct pronunciation is only the first step to immersing yourself in the Day of the Dead festivities.

First, you need to make an altar to honor someone who has died, which could be your pet parakeet or your grandparents. Throw in some photos, candles, papel picado, flowers and sugar skulls, and you’re just about set to welcome the deceased. Don’t forget to add soap and water. How else would they wash their hands? Food for the returning dead is just as important as honey to a sopaipilla, especially pan de muerto. And make sure you bake enough for yourself, because that sweet bread is yummy.

This celebration of loved ones ends with the procession (try a Spanish accent with that one) to the cemetery, which in Sacramento will be November 2 at dusk at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery. For Dia de los Muertos art to adorn your altar, check out these galleries:

La Raza Galeria Posada: Calling Back the Dead for Their Consejos, Quejas and Risa, featuring 30 individual nichos created by Northern California artists, and a special full-size altar by Sacramento artist Armando Cid. Gallery hours are 1-9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. 1022-1024 22nd Street, (916) 446-5133, www.larazagaleriaposada.org. Through November 23.

Zanzibar Tribal Art Gallery: Day of the Dead, featuring skeletons, skulls, altars, papel picado, sugar skulls, retablos and more for viewing and for sale. Many items are on display all year, but larger selections only through November 2. 1731 L Street, (916) 443-2057, www.zanzibartribalart.com.