Not to be compared with Halloween, Dia de Muertos ( Day of the Death) is celebrated in Latin Cultures on Nov 1 and 2. Both holidays have very different meanings that should be considered before comparing the two. During the first week of November, the Spanish department hosted the first Dia de Los Muertos.
Sophomore, Itzel Lopez Romero was pleasantly surprised when she found out the school would be celebrating Dia de Los Muertos for the first time.
“I was surprised and also excited,” Lopez said. “I was surprised because I didn’t think the school was going to do something like that, but I was also excited to experience the Day of the Dead festival.”
The event was held by Spanish teacher Jasmine Davis. Assistant principal Vicky Kesler explained the impact that Davis had within the different cultures.
“Miss Davis has been here with the help of other teachers. She has brought forth a lot of our culture through major events… And she’s just been very successful in representing different cultures,” Kesler said.
Amazed by all the colorful ofrendas, this event also helped students strengthen their knowledge and understanding of Dia de los Muertos
“I really enjoyed viewing the altars, learning more about their significance and seeing the excitement on the students’ faces,” principal Melissa Barlow said.
Dia de Muertos was a day to commemorate the dead. The Hispanic community believed that on this day people who had passed came back to visit their families and enjoyed some of their favorite items from when they were alive.
Students and families were happy to see that, as the Hispanic community was growing, more events celebrated cultural traditions in which students who were Latino or Hispanic could feel welcome.
“It made me so proud to see how much of our culture is being brought to Yukon,” Kesler said. “I think it’s super important for people to be exposed to other cultures and festivities.”