Every year, Mira Loma High School has celebrated Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, a celebration of the relationship between life and death. The tradition dates back for centuries, and has solidified itself as a valued and crucial part of Mira Loma’s school culture.
Commemorating deceased loved ones, Día de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of a human’s journey. The National Geographic writes it is typically a Latin American custom that blends the indigenous Aztec practices with Catholicism, brought to the region of Mexico by Spanish conquistadors – it’s original roots, though, can be traced as far back as 3,000 years to rituals that honored the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Based on this belief, families celebrate the lifespan of the deceased loved ones with food, drinks, and activities that they enjoyed. Many families believe that on this day, the souls of the deceased return to visit their living families in their homes, cemeteries, and businesses.
Mira Loma is no stranger to the celebration of Día de los Muertos; it has celebrated the holiday annually for over 10 years. Student-run clubs hold events to celebrate and learn about the Mexican culture, fascinating students by showcasing their vibrant festivities.
It wasn’t always this way. The event started out as a small exhibit in Spanish teacher Margarita Sanders’ room, but quickly expanded to a library festivity. It wasn’t long before even the library couldn’t contain the growing festival, forcing it to take place in the large cafeteria. By this time, the spirit of the event had grown so impactful that Sanders was determined to make sure it lasted. She began teaching a Día de los Muertos unit in her class to help students understand the unique perspective that the event offered. It contradicted anglocentric philosophies of mourning the deceased in its message, which promotes focusing on celebrating their life and the joys that came with it. The perspective wasn’t lost on some students: “Oftentimes we think about our loved ones with regret and sorrow, but that’s not what Día de los Muertos is about, and that’s what I think makes it so great,” stated student Logan Reilly. “This holiday is meant to be fun and joyful.”
The rapid growth quickly escalated Día de los Muertos beyond Sanders’ control – she couldn’t manage the event alone. With the help of the VAPA, English, and Spanish departments, as well as program coordinators, she worked to inform students about the importance of the holiday. Next, she enlisted the help of Latinos Unidos and Spanish Honors Society to run the event, without whose leadership and contributions, who led the event and contributed artwork and shows.
Despite being a primarily Latin American festival, Día de los Muertos then extended its reach to non-Latinx students. Emma Samford, another student explained, “I am not a part of Latino culture, but I can learn to involve myself in these culturally enriched traditions and celebrations. I always [look] forward to learning about such [an] artistically expressive holiday and I am fascinated by these celebrations and values involving the remembrance of the dead.” As one of the state’s most diverse schools, Mira Loma’s production of a Día de los Muertos festival has spurred cross-cultural interaction, helping bridge the barrier between students from a variety of different backgrounds by drawing participation from all of them. It isn’t uncommon for students, regardless of cultural identity, to get their faces painted and watch cafeteria performances.
The celebration is far from homogenous, though. Students – especially those who partake at home, have different methods of commemorating the holiday. A common choice is creating an altar, which is a structure created to honor the dead. “We set the altar for the children first and then for the adults,” explains Kenya Lopez Sanchez, class of 2021. Altars almost serve as a portal of communication for some people. Rosselyn Salinas said they celebrate by “making an “ofrenda” [offering] or an altar, we place everything they [the deceased] love and buy their favorite items as well. We make a feast and play their favorite music.” Salinas elaborated that the ofrenda helps to attract the spirit to their altar. Some students bring religion into it. Issac Cruz mentioned that he and his family “acknowledge those Saints from the church and what they’ve done to spread acts of kindness and good.”
With students at home though, finding ways to celebrate as a school wasn’t easy. Some people have decided to celebrate Día de los Muertos by taking time to clean their loved one’s gravesite prior to November 1st, rather than visiting it on the day of. In Mexico, some graves have been closed, and are planning to be closed on the Day of the Dead, so people have attended them earlier. Some have kept their celebrations rather small to avoid spreading the virus. Even the little things that were never acknowledged before the pandemic have become a hindrance. Class of 2021 student Aggie Scheideman mentioned one way that COVID-19 has made her celebration a little harder: “Ordering the Brazilian candy has been affected, since it might be harder to order and receive a package during COVID-19.” Despite any trouble they face getting supplies or putting together parties to prepare for Día De Los Muertos, many just do what they can. For them, not celebrating Día De Los Muertos is not an option.
Sacramento organizations have created various events for the public to partake, through drive-thrus and digital ofrendas – Mira Loma adapted as well. The school chose to celebrate the Day of the Dead on a website and social media platforms. Student Ola Hadi described the changes by saying, “Since we don’t have in person Spanish class we are celebrating using presentations and Zoom, it’s not ideal but still exciting,” a sentiment echoed by many students. Many are frustrated that their celebration is simply reduced to a website, forcing them to work twice as hard to celebrate and share the holiday, especially because it is a minority holiday that needs representation to be recognized. This has limited the celebrations of many students at Mira Loma, and have led to people feeling that they can’t give their loved one a proper remembrance. Salinas explains that, “Covid-19 made Día De Los Muertos different, since we would do feasts [with] all of our family we would have to maximize everything. There is no way to make a feast big in this pandemic.” Despite all the hurdles, Día De Los Muertos will be celebrated by the Mira Loma community this year.
Ironically, in one of the most devastating years of the past century, students are close to being deprived of even using Día de los Muertos to cope with 2020’s losses. The determination they have to put on this celebration is just proof of the importance this holiday holds for them, and the resilience of this spirit. Margarita Sanders said, “I hope that when I retire from teaching at Mira Loma, Día de los Muertos will still be celebrated.” Tracking the holiday’s history, and the drive to celebrate it even when the world seems to be upside down, provides us some reassurance that the festival is here to stay.
Many Students Participated in the Día de Los Muertos Celebrations at The Latino Center of Art & Culture on October 31, 2020
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