By Dylan Wiener and Cristano Grau
As we enter the festive season, the Language Acquisition department has worked hard to incorporate cultural celebrations in the school community. One of these three celebrations is Day of the Dead, otherwise known as Día de Los Muertos.
Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that celebrates family alongside the remembrance of those who have passed. To show respect to the tradition of the holiday, families prepare colorful shrines known as altars either in their own homes or by the grave of their loved ones. These altars are dedicated to the deceased, offering gifts to their souls who return to the living realm on the night of the Day of the Dead. The variety of these gifts can include; pan de Muertos, photos of the individual and their families, multi-colored candles, shrines, marigold flowers, skulls, and meaningful possessions of the individual.
Day of the Dead originated from Aztec traditions, namely the worshipping of the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday was originally dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, also referred to as “The Lady of Death”. Through European and Catholic religious influence, the holiday became centered around commemorating the departed spirits.
Although Día de Los Muertos is originally a Mexican holiday, it is also widely recognized and celebrated in many Latin American countries. Aside from the millions of people who celebrate this tradition in Latin America, many American citizens take part in the festivities due to the large population of Latino Americans in the Southwest United States.
Despite the holiday’s name, lasts two days. On both days, the same traditions are practiced, though for different reasons. On the first day, the altars and offerings are meant to honour deceased infants and young children, those who did not live long enough to really live at all. The second day is meant to honour the deaths of all other spirits. In addition to families gathering to remember their deceased loved ones, communities also create altars in honour of figures of great reverence, artists, politicians, writers, etc.
Above is a photo that honors the lost souls of a variety of artists, hoping that they return to the shrine in the fifth-floor pod in the LAQ pod for Spanish. Within this colorful exhibition, it shows off the artwork created by the students that reflect on the lives of a multitude of people.
Señora Fernandez, our Spanish teacher, gave insight on the specifics and goals of CIS’ cultural exhibition this year. The Spanish department aims to display the tradition of Day of the Dead, hoping that the display of artworks showcases the creativity and learning of the students to accurately represent the traditions and values of this ethnic holiday. They hope to spread awareness of the tradition and the importance of celebrating the lives of those we have lost.