Imagine one day a year, relatives who have died come to visit for a celebration of life and death. The Day of the Dead, or el Día de Los Muertos, is a timeless Mexican holiday derived from ancient Mesoamerican traditions, families believe that the border between the spirit and living world dissolves, so the souls of the dead can return to rejoice with their loved ones, explained Thomas Reynolds, Department head of English, Languages and Cultural Studies.
On Oct. 30, Northwestern State University of Louisiana held its celebration for this holiday, giving students the opportunity to honor their ancestors.
This celebration of life and death is an annual tradition featuring an ofrenda, a colorful altar with several levels and elements to honor the deceased, built by students enrolled in Spanish classes. Before the event, students were able to leave photographs, favorite foods of their loved ones and other offerings at the altar. Latin dance lessons and Mexican food were provided, which created a warm and comforting atmosphere for everyone even students who weren’t familiar with this celebration.
Ashley Lee, a freshman general studies major, had never celebrated the Day of the Dead before this year’s event. After helping out by painting a skeleton and contributing to the ofrenda with a picture and an offering for her deceased family member, the new experience was welcoming.
“I have never celebrated it before, and I don’t have much of an attachment to the celebration, but I would love to make it a larger part of my life,” Lee said.
One of the most important parts of this celebration is the community it provides. It brings people together by commemorating their ancestors and forming new connections across cultures.
Reynolds reflected on what this celebration is set to achieve. “We hope that students learn more about Mexican culture and the Spanish language,” Reynolds said. “The event provides students enrolled in Spanish with a hands-on opportunity to engage with Mexican cultural practices, but it also exposes the average NSU student to the beauty of other cultures and languages.”
Planning a celebration that means so much to many people is not easy. Christine Ferrell, an instructor in French and Spanish and the head coordinator of the Day of the Dead celebration helped prepare and educate her students by showing videos and pictures of the history of the celebration and the elements that go into it.
“I love how, each year, the altar comes out different with essentially the same supplies because the students make it their own,” Ferrell said. “I also love to watch my students interact and work with each other outside of the classroom setting. I look forward to it every fall.”
A large part of this event revolves around student involvement and their contributions to the altar and decorations. Ferrell added that this Day of the Dead celebration would not be possible without the support of administrative assistant Marisa Dawson and Benjamin Forkner, one of Ferrell’s colleagues in the language department.
There are so many elements that go into making this celebration what it is: a display of community and the honoring of deceased loved ones. Everyone in charge of setting things up made sure that students were at the forefront to get the chance to experience a holiday that may be new to them and to make new connections in a secure and festive atmosphere.
