Gallery • 10 Photos

Photo by Maryam Barro Tall

Día De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead is a widely celebrated two day holiday traditionally celebrated November 1-November 2 that reunites the living and the dead. While the holiday is largely observed in Mexico, it is also celebrated in other areas of the world, especially by people of Mexican heritage. The holiday is not a mourning but a celebration of life. Families create ofrendas to pay homage to those they have lost. Ofrendas are the altars created to honor the dead. There are traditionally seven levels of the altars, from top to bottom, that depict the different levels of the world, heaven, and hell. The first level of the altar starts from the bottom, and it traditionally includes an image of a Saint to whom the dead were particularly devoted. The second level of the altar normally contains candles and or lights which represent guides that help souls escape from purgatory. The third level contains toys and salt figurines, mostly for the children. The fourth level holds Pan de Muerto which is bread for the dead as well as sugar skulls or calaveras de azucár. The fifth level holds the favorite food and drinks of the deceased, such as tequila or mezcal. The sixth level holds photos of the deceased. The seventh level carries marigold flowers and crosses. In honor of the holiday, students of the Spanish department, specifically the Spanish ⅞ class led by Cecilia Alexander, created an ofrenda of their own in the display case on the third floor of C building. The ofrenda consists of calaveras, drawings, toys, fake fruit, water, salt, flowers, candles, photos of deceased figures in history, and more. The Día De Los Muertos celebration, especially in a diverse community, allows people of different heritages to learn more about the different traditions surrounding death and highlights the Mexican culture in a way that respects and honors their culture and their practices.