La Raza gives life to Day of the Dead

The lawn in front of the J. Paul Leonard Library resembled a cemetery on Thursday as members of La Raza student organization displayed tombstones, crosses and an altar in remembrance of those who have died.

Nov. 2 is All Souls Day on the Christian calendar, but this day is also known as "Dia de los Muertos," or Day of the Dead in Mexico. It's a day when people remember loved ones who have died by going to the cemetery, decorating their graves, going to church to pray for them and going to gatherings to talk about them with other people.

People also make toys such as sugar candy skulls, paintings of skulls and "Pan de los Muertos," or bread of the dead. Often they take these to the graves and leave them for the dead. People also take bread to the graves and sit down and eat it next to the grave of a loved one, reenacting the times when they ate together. On Thursday, the 35 tombstones and 20 crosses all had the names of deceased relatives of La Raza students.

The altar had candles, along with various fruits, bread of the dead and pictures of people who have died. Throughout the day people could walk up and put a picture or painting of a deceased person on the altar. Pictures and paintings of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Salvador Allende, Cesar Chavez, Dr. Bernard Anthony Hoehner and Emiliano Zapata were on the altar.

"The theme today is family," said Claudia Lara, one of the event organizers. "We wanted to remember our relatives who have passed on, but also let other people remember people who they admire."

According to a handout from La Raza , the Day of the Dead celebrations have their origin in pre-Christian times in Italy. Many of the elements of the Christian celebration, especially as it was imported into Mexico, date back to the Romans.

The act of placing tokens such as fruits, candles, bread, food, candy, paintings and pictures onto the altar dates back to the Roman festivities celebrating family ancestors. Catholic missionaries brought these traditions to Mexico during colonization.

The Day of the Dead, according to the handout, is a very important religious and social occasion in central Mexico. Ornaments and toys such as sugar candy skulls and images that show cadavers involved in everyday activities have become elaborated far beyond their Mediterranean origins and have become something uniquely Mexican.

Gerontology graduate student Heather Nolan walked up to the altar to get a closer look.

"I work with Hispanics and I've always been attracted to their culture," Nolan said. "I was curious to see what was on the altar. It's set up real nice."

[ Golden Gater Online November 7, 1995 ]

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