Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday held to honor deceased loved ones. Celebrations include families building ‘ofrendas’ (altars) filled with photographs, flowers, foods and other items sentimental to the departed.
As tales of the tradition go, the gates of heaven open at midnight on Oct. 31, and the spirits of children can rejoin their families for 24 hours, while the spirits of adults can do the same on Nov 2.
Luis Manuel Villalpando, a junior studying real estate finance, was born in Phoenix, lived in Jalisco, Mexico, and then moved back to Phoenix when he was 7 years old. He recounts his experiences with the tradition growing up.
“Since we were in Phoenix, we didn’t really have the same communal parades we would have in Mexico,” Villapando said. “My mom would always set up a DIY altar at our home; she would decorate the altar with traditional flowers like marigolds and pan de muertos.
“We would also add in front of everybody’s picture whatever their favorite snack was, or maybe something that reminds us of them,” he said. “My grandpa used to play the guitar, so we would put a little guitar next to the altar for him.”
Villapando reinvents his family tradition at USC by going to church every Día de los Muertos and spending it at the USC Caruso Center.
“I don’t go to church that often anymore. But I’ve always made amade it a commitment to go for Día de los Muertos only,” he said. “I’ll go to the Caruso Center. They’ll usually do a service, and it’s pretty neat. Sometimes they offer it in Spanish.”
Much like Villalpando, Caleb Anderson, a junior studying public policy at USC, has made celebrating Día de los Muertos a necessity during his time at USC. It makes him feel more connected to home.
“Since I was raised in Colorado, my family chose to blend both regular fall traditions such as Halloween along with Dia de Los Muertos,” Anderson said. “We don’t necessarily follow it as strictly as the Catholics in South America.”
Less traditional practices may not follow the exact dates, such as Día de los Muertos de la Mascota (Day of the Dead for Pets) on Oct. 27, Nov.1 for children, rather just making the altar for the honor aspect.
Zachary Woods, a senior studying biological sciences, with dual Mexican/American citizenship, also brings his family tradition to his USC apartment.
“I have pictures of all my dogs [on the ofrenda] because our pets come back on Oct. 27. So I have a little ofrenda in my apartment for my dogs, Cody, Pepper and Tucker,” Woods said.
Many students at USC celebrate Día de los Muertos and several opportunities around campus are making it easier for students to find community.
La Casa, a cultural resource center for the Latine population at USC, is holding an event 1-3 p.m. Oct. 30 at STU400, where they will have face painting, arts and crafts and food and drink, among other traditional activities.
USC Architecture invites all students to participate in an ofrenda by submitting photos through this form by Nov. 2.
There’s also an ofrenda in the Annenberg Media Center. This year’s ofrenda is dedicated to Eliana Moreno, an NBC4 and Telemundo52 reporter who passed in September in a chopper crash in the midst of reporting. The altar celebrates journalists who have passed in the pursuit of informing our communities.
The ofrenda was put up by Dímelo, USC’s only Latine-focused media outlet at Annenberg.
“[Día de los Muertos] is not just for Latinos; it’s for everyone,” said Anderson.
Students of all backgrounds are welcome to honor their late loved ones at these on-campus celebrations.
USC has resources available to students experiencing grief and loss.