In Latin America, Día de los Muertos, “Day of the Dead” is a holiday celebrated by many as a day to remember loved ones. Families create elaborate altars with flowers and candles, visit cemeteries, and eat together. They eat the traditional pan de muertos, “bread of the dead,” which is bread in the shape of a human. Pan de muertos, sweet bread, consists of the shape of a skull, the orange blossom flavor to honor the dead, the bones of the dead, and the circular shape, which symbolizes the cycle of life and death.

There are different versions of Día de los Muertos such as Día de Los Santos which is celebrated in Bolivia

Camila Alem Pinto ‘21, Co-President of ISU, spoke about her family tradition of celebrating Día de Los Santos. Her family goes to the graveyard and everyone brings a dish. At the graveyard, we “share something [memories] to remember our loved ones,” Alem Pinto said. “It was a super nice time where we all remember, ‘oh remember when grandma used to do this, or remember how she did that or he did that’.” Día de Los Santos is about celebrating those who have passed away and spending time with family.

This holiday devotes time to chatting with a loved one. Alem Pinto shared a fond memory about visiting her grandma’s gravestone and feeling closer to her grandma. “I would say ‘Hey, granny, how are you doing? I would tell her how I miss her in my life.”

The spirit of the holiday can be celebrated in different ways across other cultures. Asia Quinones ‘21, President of Raíces, spoke about how her family honors loved ones. “When someone passes away, my mom will light white candles for them,” Quinones said, “We’ll also leave out food, liquor, or water for saints. I feel like it resembles the culture, but we don’t necessarily celebrate it [Día de Los Muertos].”

To bring the tradition to Skidmore, the International Student Union (ISU), Raices, and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (OSRL) co-sponsored a Día de Los Muertos event in Case Center.

“The whole idea of this event is to create a space on campus to cherish the ones that are no longer with us, and also mourn and grieve,” Alem Pinto said. “This year, we all had experiences of the loss of somebody in a way. Given the current situation, we may not have the time to acknowledge that.” This Día de Los Muertos event allowed students an opportunity to take time in their day to honor those who have died and to mourn openly without judgement.

ISU, Raices, and ORSL set up a table in Case Center with candles and flowers to resemble an ofrenda, an altar. They were also provided pastel heart and flower shaped sticky notes for students to write a favorite memory with a loved one or the name of someone who has passed on. Then, the students stuck their notes on a poster board.

The sticky notes on the poster were left in front of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, and in a week, they plan to move the poster to the Wilson Chapel. Students can visit the Wilson Chapel to spend time thinking about and mourning a loved one.

Día de Los Muertos can be celebrated in many ways, and it serves as a way to keep the memories of those who have passed away alive in our hearts. ISU, Raices, and ORSL created a heartwarming event in the midst of the pandemic; it was a safe and welcoming space to honor those who have died.