Dia De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday that is celebrated across Mexico and even in America. On Nov. 1 and 2, families come together to celebrate loved ones they have lost and honor them with altars called Ofrendas. The purpose of the holiday is to reunite living family members while honoring those who have passed.
People often make the assumption that Dia De Los Muertos is connected to Halloween, however, it holds no ties to the American holiday. Day of the Dead is instead derived from All Souls Day, and the Aztec heritage to honor ancestors. While it does take inspiration from other traditions, Day of the Dead is truly its own holiday.
This celebratory holiday is usually accompanied by feasts of traditional Mexican food, like pan de muerto, pan dulce, and sugar skulls and different celebratory rituals specific to the holiday.
Families usually clean and decorate the graves of the deceased that they will be celebrating and honor them by placing marigolds and many more vibrant decorations upon them. Marigolds are believed to attract the dead, meaning that they will attract the loved ones who have passed back to the living world.
Symbols you may recognize that represent Day of the Dead include; skulls (specifically candy ones), marigolds, pan de muerto, papel de picado, skeletons with face paint and lavish outfits, picture frames and even candles.
The students here at LOHS celebrate the same holiday in various ways, some similar, and others different. We spoke to one of the presidents of LOHS’s Spanish Club, Colin Manning, in order to get some details on how they celebrated this year.
“We did a little celebration with Latino Hispanic Student Union where we made some Flores de Papel and ate tacos and designed a poster for Día De Los Muertos,” Manning recalled, explaining the fun event both clubs came together to host. “Also, in my AP Spanish class we had a celebration with Pan Dulce and other treats people had brought from home,” Manning added, acknowledging that the festivities were not just limited to extracurriculars.
“I encourage more people to learn about and celebrate Día De Los Muertos not only because of the celebration and food but also because it treats death in a way that, for many- especially in LO – is different and refreshing,” said Manning. Dia De Los Muertos focuses on a more positive and celebratory way of viewing death which, according to Manning, is beneficial to learn about.
Manning also encourages those who have a deeper curiosity about the holiday to speak to members of LOHS’s Latino Hispanic Union club to gain a deeper insight into how more Lakers celebrate.
This year LHSU created a poster and colorful paper flowers to decorate the hall for the holiday. This got the Lakers excited for the festivities, and reminded them to celebrate. Club members Amy Arechiga and Ana Patricia Pulido helped in making this art. “It went pretty well, everyone collaborated and it was fun,” said Arechiga, however both members hope that next year they can include even more decorations around the school. They even have one particular type of decoration in mind which is, “making a really big Ofrenda,” said Pulido. Even with that they said nothing for next year is set in stone. “We like to discuss how we want to celebrate it with club members,” said Arechiga. So in the end, each year includes new people and new ideas on how they will choose to celebrate this holiday.
“I think the club would love to get the school involved, it gets them to learn a bit about different cultures,” said Pulido. But either way Pulido said it’s just as enjoyable keeping the celebrations to the club. Pulido described how the holiday brings the club members closer together, which makes for a festive environment to be around.
It is important that we acknowledge the importance of Dia De Los Muertos. Arechiga said, “It’s important to share because you’re sharing a part of a culture that will encourage the people to learn more about.” This holiday is a big deal to many communities around the world, and a joyful one as well.
