UI community celebrates Day of the Dead Nov. 1
Halloween is a time for tradition. Trick-or-treating, costume parties and scary movie marathons all come with the change of the leaves.
For those with Hispanic heritage though, this time of year represents a different meaning.
Emily Mosset| Argonaut
Jesse Martinez, Interim Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs poses by the El Color de Nuestra Tierra filer
The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, takes place Nov. 1 and 2, and honors deceased loved ones. Traditions of the celebration include cleaning and decorating the gravestones of the deceased with homemade altars. The decorations are often bright, colorful and covered in the deceased’s favorite foods, flowers, candles, pan de muertos, pictures and of some more personal items like their favorite type of gum or their personal Bible.
University of Idaho students and community members will celebrate the holiday at this year’s El Color de Nuestra Tierra from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 1 in the SUB Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.
The student activist group Movimiento Activista Social (MAS), the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Department of Modern Languages and Culture and ASUI will host the event.
“I think is really great with the event that we’re doing with the Dia de los Muertos is that it’s a way to tie together with the community around here,” said Ashley Kerr, a UI Spanish professor. “We invite community members from Moscow and the surrounding areas to come … so it’s a chance for us in the Spanish department and as a university to connect with the outside world.”
Emily Mosset |Argonaut
Promoting the upcoming event on Saturday, the El Color de Nuestra Tierra poster stands among other advertised student events
Interim Director at the Office of Multicultural Affairs Jesse Martinez said celebrations like Dia de los Muertos highlight the entire Hispanic population.
“A lot of times, when people hear the word ‘Latino’ they usually think Mexican because that’s usually the most experience they’ve had with Latinos,” Martinez said. “This is really to show the diversity of Latin America and South America as well. There will be performances, poems, there’s going to be a lot of artistic showcases to illustrate the diversity within the Latino community.”
Dia de los Muertos is split into two separate celebrations. Nov. 1 is the day to remember the souls of children, or Dia de los Inocentes. They are honored with special designs in the altars, using the color white on flowers and candles. The day to remember deceased adults takes place Nov. 2.
MAS has held many outreach programs for the community to cover issues such as how women are treated at the U.S.-Mexico border, farmworker awareness and equality for the Hispanic community. Its annual El Color de Nuestra Tierra was made to promote and bring awareness to the equality issues still in the U.S., and Martinez said the focus on combining the importance of the rare indigenous cultures of Latin America with the tradition of Dia de los Muertos is a smart way to do it.
“(MAS) looks at the issues that are really affecting our community and issues that aren’t being raised,” Martinez said. “One of the big things I love about the organization is that everybody shows respect. They don’t just talk about the issues, they do something about it.”
Emily Mosset can be reached at [email protected]