Día de los Muertos touches Toreros
A Día de los Muertos altar in Old Town, San Diego. This altar is part of a yearly celebration in San Diego that pays homage to the festive tradition.
Photo courtesy of Brooke Henry
The Latin American holiday is celebrated across the world and holds powerful meaning for USD students
Día de los Muertos, translated as “Day of the Dead,” is a Latin American holiday that celebrates those who have come before us and now remain in the afterlife. This holiday is a way for families to remember and celebrate loved ones. Día de los Muertos occurs every year on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2. During this time, those who participate in this holiday set up extravagant altars to show their love for those who have passed. These altars include these family members’ photos, favorite foods, toys, candles, and many beautiful flowers.
Sophomore Emeline Polis explains why Día de los Muertos is important to her and has deeply affected her life.
“It has brought me closer to my culture and my family,” Polis said. “I grew up in a ‘white-washed’ family. Both of my parents were immigrants. They raised my sister and me with fear due to war, 9/11, things like that. So cultural holidays like Day of the Dead were not celebrated nor talked about. I grew up not knowing of or feeling that I belonged to any culture.”
It is said that the gates of heaven open at midnight on Oct. 31, and it allows children who have passed to return to their families for 24 hours. Families decorate these altars with all of their favorite things so that the children will be inclined to return. The following day, Nov. 2, all of the deceased are then allowed to return to their families for the following 24 hours. This tradition has been passed on from the Catholic Church as a result of the fusion between the faith and indigenous religions. Today, it is celebrated with the decoration of sugar skulls and with children dressing up as skeletons.
“It is such a beautiful and powerful day to experience and participate in,” Polis said. “It is empowering for one. It gives you excitement, hope, and calms your fears of passing on. It’s comforting to know you have a support system on earth and in an afterlife.”
Día de los Muertos is very present at the University of San Diego. Jillian Tullis, Ph.D., and Peter Mena, Ph.D., put together a beautiful altar in Hahn University Center Forums for all to enjoy. They took gifts and offerings from students who wished to participate and created a fascinating altar full of culture and remembrance. Students recognized the altar by the overpowering scent of flowers flowing through the bookstore and UC Forum.
Sugar skulls decorated for the Latin American holiday in Old Town, San Diego.
Jennifer Mossuto/The USD Vista
Since Polis was not introduced to this holiday until her grandmother set up an altar in her house, she feels a slight disconnect to her culture.
“I grew up feeling lost,” Polis said. “It felt like I was playing a never ending game of catch up. I still feel this way today. Yet, this holiday allows everyone in a family to find their own connection to not only their loved ones who have gone before them, but to themselves. It is two days in a year when we can fully be ourselves and be proud of our culture.”
Polis discusses some reasons people may reject this holiday. She explains that it can sometimes be confused with witchcraft because it deals with worshipping and an altar for the dead. The altar is meant to show respect and remembrance for when those who have passed return to the mortal earth for 48 hours.
“We are given hope to find the ultimate happiness and to be with those who have gone before us (who we miss dearly),” Polis said. “I found a quote by anthropologist Claudio Lomnitz that sums up how we view death, ‘The Mexican… is familiar with death, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it. He looks at it face to face, with impatience, disdain, or irony.’”
Polis makes it evident that being separated from her culture as a child was difficult for her, but now that she understands and cherishes this holiday, she recognizes that it is a part of her and is something she will most certainly pass down in her own future family.
Día de los Muertos has a home here in Linda Vista and the greater San Diego area. Its importance is recognized and continues to be better understood by USD’s diverse community.