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Día de los
Muertos El Día de los
Muertos or the Day of the Dead is celebrated in some small towns in Mexico.
This festival displays the rich syncretism between Indigenous beliefs and
the Catholic practices brought by the Spanish. Some believe that on
November 1st, All Saints Day and on November 2nd, All Souls Day, the spirits
of the deceased return to spend a few moments with their relatives still
living on earth. In preparation for their arrival their tombs are washed
and adorned with flowers, bread for the dead, religious items, candles,
glasses of water, food, drink and trinkets representing the activities the
deceased enjoyed during life on earth. All of this is an ofrenda or
offering made for the people who have left this earth but still linger in
the memories of their friends and families.
The Spanish students at Shasta College invite you to
experience the ofrendas or offerings they have made in honor of their
deceased friends and relatives. While many of us practice our own religious
beliefs, we also enjoy learning about the cultural and religious practices
of others, and we’d like to share what we are learning with our fellow
students here at the college.
Our annual Día
de los Muertos celebration takes place on the 1st or 2nd of November and
includes explanations about Day of the Dead, bilingual
poetry and literary readings, music, examples of papel picado, the cut paper
made in Mexico, and an exposition of handicrafts made in Mexico for the Day
of the Dead. We have ofrendas on display all day outside the
800 building, and Amigos Unidos will be doing face painting beforehand. All are welcome to attend! You can click on any of
the photos below for a closer view. |
