South Shore Celebrates Day of The Dead

Day of the Dead or also known as Día de los Muertos is a festival/holiday celebrated in Latin America. It is based on the remembrance of loved ones that have passed away. During the holiday, they welcome their loved ones that passed away to be with them. “In our culture we believe that their souls spend time with us during those 2 days,” Ms. Santacruz, the Middle School Counselor, said. In Mexico depending on the region, you will find parades, carnivals, altars, and communities coming together celebrating with food, prayer, music, and decorating of gravestones in cemeteries. It is a happy, joyful, colorful celebration of life and remembrance.

The holiday is celebrated November 1st and 2^nd, the main days celebrated for Day of the Dead. November 1st is for infants and children, and November 2nd is for everyone else. People start decorating and building altars days before that, but the main events will happen on those main two days. What people do on the Day of the Dead is remember the family members or friends that passed away by cooking their favorite meals, sharing memorable stories of who they were, and simply celebrating life.

Many people may wonder what the symbols for Day of the Dead mean. The skulls symbolize continuation of memories and of life. On the altar, they are used as a decoration, and they are made of sugar or chocolate. The other symbols on the Day of the Dead are Pan de Muertos (Mexican sweet bread) which is laid out for loved ones to enjoy. Papel picado (symbol of Mexican folk art) is used to decorate the altar. The marigold flower was a part of the celebrations since the Aztecs. It’s a bright orange flower, and its petals are laid on the altar.

Ms. Jazmin, a community partner in our school, says, “We decided to build the altar at South Shore as a Latino Student Union club project to create awareness of a very important holiday in our culture. It is also an opportunity for our community to share in something we value and bring pictures of their loved ones to be remembered/honored on this day.”