Honoring all of fall’s special holidays 

USD students and staff discuss annual cultural and religious traditions

Haley Jacob / Feature Editor / The USD Vista

Many people anticipate the fall season for the popular and widely celebrated holiday of Halloween — a night that consists of spooky decorations and fun costumes. However, many other celebrations take place during the fall season which hold important cultural and religious value to people worldwide. Holidays such as Day of the Dead — also known as “Día de los Muertos” — All Saints’ Day and Diwali bring unique forms of comfort, hope and inspiration into the lives of those who celebrate. 

Day of the Dead is a celebration of life and death in Mexican tradition. The holiday is traditionally celebrated from Nov. 1 to Nov. 2, and families honor their deceased loved ones by setting up an altar, or an “ofrenda,” and placing photos of loved ones on the altar, to acknowledge them and welcome their spirits into the home. People also place letters, flowers, candles, the loved one’s favorite foods, drinks, personal items and other sentimental offerings on the altar to show appreciation. 

The University of San Diego’s Program in Latin American Studies will host the “Día de Muertos Altar and Event” celebration on Nov. 2 from 4-5:20 p.m. in the Student Life Pavilion Gallery with guest speaker José González. The altar is open for visitors from Nov. 1 to Nov. 3, and community contributions are welcome.

USD sophomore and Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA) member Isabella Amezcua discussed the purpose of the tradition.

“For me, it’s to take away the fear of death. They’re in a better place, they fulfilled what they needed to do in their life, and it’s celebrating that for that person,” Amezcua said. “It’s also to dedicate a day to not forgetting about our dead loved ones; it’s like they’re always with us, they’re still here. Maybe you have a distant relative you forgot passed away, but then on Day of the Dead you see their picture on the ofrenda, and you’re like, ‘oh, I forgot about them; I have this really good memory with them.’ It’s keeping their spirit alive.”

The day is emotional for those who celebrate, because it’s a reminder of those who have died. USD junior and Co-Chair of the Association of Chicanx Activists (AChA) Shayla Rodriguez shared the story of her aunt and uncle who passed away within a year of one another. For years, Rodriguez’s mother struggled to put up an altar because of her grief over the losses. However, Rodriguez convinced her mother to create one after promising her they would do it together. 

“I promised them [her aunt and uncle] that even if I were away, I would always look out for them, and this is my way of looking out for them and telling them even though I’m not there with you and even though I wasn’t there at your funeral, you’re still remembered and in my heart,” Rodriguez said.

USD junior and Programmer for AChA and MEChA Amaya Rodriguez-Agiss shared the emotional impact of the celebration. 

“It makes me happy, but the memories come with it, so it’s just very deep,” Rodriguez-Agiss said. “Of course, I feel happiness and gratitude that I had this time with them, but it’s also sad. But it feels really nice to have that day to have that extra feeling that they’re there, an extra feeling of ‘these two days I’m gonna spend with you.’ It’s like they’re still here, and they always will be, but during these two days, it’s such a strong feeling. It’s hard to express in words honestly.”

A holiday close to home here at USD is All Saints’ Day, a religious holiday celebrated by Catholics and other Christian denominations on Nov. 1. All Saints’ Day is important to practicing individuals because it’s a time to honor and appreciate all saints who were exemplary individuals in their faith and have attained Heaven. The holiday is classified as a “Holy Day of Obligation” in the Catholic faith, where Catholics gather to attend mass. The Immaculata Church will have an “All Saints Mass” from 7-8 p.m. on Nov. 1, which is open to the public.

Vice President of Mission Integration Michael Lovette-Colyer shared his view on the holiday and its significance. 

“It is a day to honor those officially recognized as saints as well as the people we meet every day who inspire us by living extraordinary Christian lives,” Lovette-Colyer said. “The lives of the saints exhibit God’s unconditional love and boundless mercy. Some, such as St. Francis or St. Thérèse of Lisieux, lived long ago and are an established part of our tradition. Other people whose lives radiate God’s love and generosity include our family and friends, people we know and love who inspire us in ordinary but profoundly meaningful ways.”

USD senior and Student Assistant at University Ministry (UM) Katherine Seto discussed the inspiration she finds from saints as she navigates her faith journey. 

“I think that this holiday gives Catholics the opportunity to realize that it doesn’t matter where they’ve been — it matters where they’re going,” Seto said. “I like that about this holiday, because I’m an imperfect person, and I make plenty of mistakes, and it’s nice to know that you’re not defined by your mistakes. I think that’s one thing I really like about the saints, because when you look at Jesus, he’s perfect, but the saints aren’t. They are deeply flawed people, but they were still able to do good, and I’m a deeply flawed person who is still trying to do good.”

USD sophomore and Liturgical Ministry Intern at UM Jonnie Robles shared similar sentiments on how saints have influenced her relationship with her faith.

“I feel like sometimes everyone wants to say ‘Live like Jesus’ or ‘What would Jesus do,’ but at the same time, you can’t really see yourself on the same wavelength as Jesus Christ himself, but you could potentially see yourself in the stories of the saints and their lives because they’re human too,” Robles said. “They lived through love, so I can live through love. It seems a little more reflected — you can definitely reflect on their lives and say, ‘I can mirror some of that in my own life.’”

Finally, Diwali is the five-day long “Festival of Lights” and is one of the most important festivals in Hinduism, falling on Oct. 24 this year. The festival celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair. The meaning stems from the story of Lord Ram, a major deity in Hinduism, and his return to his kingdom in Ayodhya after saving his wife from the demon-king Ravana, killing Ravana, and concluding his 14 years of exile. Upon his return on the “darkest night,” people in the kingdom welcomed him back with lamps. 

USD graduate student Deepti Thakoor explained the festival’s connection to the story of Lord Ram and the significance of light. Additionally, she shared about the preparation process.

“The God’s name from the story is ‘Ram,’ and people worship him,” Thakoor said. “We believe God came down on Earth in a series of stages, so he is one of them — an incarnation of God. We celebrate [Diwali] every year by lighting our house and decorating our house. The idea is that God is coming back, and you’re welcoming him back into your life. The preparation for Diwali starts a month in advance, because you need to clean the house. It’s deep cleaning — everything must be cleaned, from the carpets to the walls to everything; even the dogs need to be washed. It’s almost like the new year. It’s celebrated as if it’s a new beginning. You’re clearing out the old and the clutter, replacing it with the new.”

There are many different customs to the Diwali celebration. In the Mauritian tradition, which is Thakoor’s nationality, people make homemade cakes to give to friends and neighbors, fast before the festival, wear new clothes, light firecrackers at night and buy a new metal kitchen utensil which is said to bring prosperity into one’s life. These customs vary between cultures, but the main action of the celebration remains the same: lighting the lamp of Diwali. 

Thakoor appreciates the community aspect of Diwali and the festival’s ability to bring everyone together.

“I think it brings joy,” Thakoor said. “Just the thought of Diwali to me is equal to joy. What I really love is the community aspect, the hospitality part, because traditionally we would make cakes back home and give them to people, so there is that aspect of serving others and giving a part of my culture to you and sharing that.”

USD’s Graduate Student Life, UM and United Front Multicultural Commons (UFMC) collaborated to put on “Diwali Night” on Oct. 24. The event featured food, Indian music, presentations, dances and the lighting of the lamp of Diwali. 

These three holidays hold deep value and significance to many members of the USD community, and there are different ways for students, faculty and staff to learn about these traditions and take part in the celebrations. Whether attending an event or acknowledging the beauty of a display, there are many opportunities to connect with different cultures and obtain valuable experiences through the process. The fall season bears more traditions than the well-known holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving, and the possibility for deeper engagement and appreciation of more culturally diverse celebrations continues year-round.