Dia de los Muertos

Anika NarayananStaff WriterThe vibrant fusion of vivid flowers and intricate papel picado filled the walls and handmade altars of the Roberts Art Gallery, setting the mood for a time to honor both a culture and the past alike. In a testament to Mexican tradition, Samo is embracing the seasonal art and celebrations of Día de los Muertos.Día de los Muertos, which originated in Mexico, can be traced as far back as 3,000 years. Originally a Pagan holiday, it was a time for people to build altars to honor the deceased. The first day, Nov. 1, honors saints and the children and infants who are no longer with their families. It was also referred to as Dia de los Angelitos, or “Day of the Little Angels.” The second day, Día de los Muertos, recognizes deceased adults. Families and friends bring favorite foods, photos and memorabilia to grave sites and build private altars in recognition of their lost loved ones. Often times, in an effort to awaken the souls of the departed and lure them back to Earth, the day is filled with laughter as people remembered happy moments with the departed. At night, people dance in colorful costumes and hold candlelit vigils in a final, beautiful goodbye to the deceased for the night.“The idea is to have hot foods so that the steam and aroma will call on the dead,” Spanish teacher Claudia Bautista-Nicholas said, “On these days, people make a special bread called pan de muerto to commemorate their loved ones too.”While the holiday is celebrated most traditionally in Mexico, Día de los Muertos has begun to be recognized all over the U.S. with celebrations and traditional observances, especially along the West coast in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, San Francisco and most prominently, Los Angeles. Hollywood Forever Cemetery hosted its 13th annual Dia de los Muertos celebration Nov. 26 with 20,000 people in attendance. The celebration, which lasted from mid-morning to midnight, boasted a colorful costume parade, music performances from Mexican artists and a multitude of altars. The Olvera Street celebration in Downtown Los Angeles included face and mask painting, dancing, mariachi band performances and an abundance of traditional Día de los Muertos foods, including the symbolic sugar skulls and an open mic where people could tell stories about the departed.However, Samo students do not have to leave the Westside to experience the beauty and significance of Día de los Muertos. The Art Department’s Día de los Muertos show embodies the holiday to the fullest with its vibrant colors, skeletal representations and potent mixture of life and death. The show, which was also hosted by the Pico Youth and Family Center, had traditional live dancing and served as a celebration of the holiday.“It was a total culture experience,” AP Art student and sophomore Ariel Silverman said. “Learning [about the culture] and seeing the different, less-known styles of art was pretty cool. It was great to be exposed to all of this new stuff, and it was awesome to incorporate so much history and culture into my work.”Spanish teachers, including Leigh Anne McKellar, spoke about the significance of the holiday, and showed pictures and film clips. They also took their classes on walks through the exhibit, and some even dressed up as skeletons in honor of the holiday. Perhaps the most traditional exploration of Día de los Muertos was Bautista-Nicholas’ classes, who constructed and presented their own handmade altar to the public. They chose to honor three lost members of the Samohi community, Mr. Lacy, Mr. McGee, and Matthew Mezza, as well as Cesar Chavez. The students brought mementos, photos and flowers to decorate the altar. The process fostered class participation and a new perspective on both Spanish culture and art, The students presented their altar to the community on the evening of Nov. 1.While the holiday may carry resemblance and is even considered an extension of Halloween, Día de los Muertos is a day of remembering the lost, and celebrating their lives in the most beautiful, positive ways possible.“It is a very colorful and beautiful day,” Bautista-Nicholas said. “It’s not sad at all but rather [holds] happy memories of our dearly departed.”anarayanan@thesamohi.com