On Wednesday, October 30, the Latino Student Union (LSU) invited the campus to come and celebrate Día de los Muertos after school at the student services building. Their goal was to get people to learn more about this important part of Latino culture. Día de los Muertos is celebrated on November 1 and 2 to pay respects and remember friends and family who have passed away. 

“Día de los Muertos is a very special day for me,” senior Yocelin Rojas said. “It’s a day where we have a lot of laughs, and yes, you cry, but I feel like it’s more of a happy moment that we celebrate.”

During the celebration, LSU provided arroz rojo, mole, enchiladas, and conchas, while other LAHS families celebrating brought foods like gelatina de mosaico and pozole. 

The celebration started with LSU Dance members in Jalisco dresses dancing the La Bruja. La Bruja is a Folklorico dance traditionally done on Día de los Muertos and means “the witch”. 

“With Día de los Muertos, it’s always very colorful,” LSU President senior Sophia Diaz Lopez said. “We wanted to embody that in the student union as well. We wanted to make everything really colorful and very authentic to Día de Los Muertos,”

LSU spent Tuesday and Wednesday after school decorating the altar traditionally. Papel picado, Catrinas, marigolds, and food surrounded the altar and let students experience more of Día de los Muertos. 

“It’s not just people who get celebrated,” senior Malina Pedraza said. “We have pictures of people like my grandma or my uncle, but also my dog who passed away.”

Día de los Muertos is a time for people not only a time to remember but also a time to celebrate their lives, accomplishments, and the joy they brought to the world. 

“I always think about Día de los Muertos as bringing my loved ones back and having them just be here in the Spirit,” LSU adviser Ariel Rojas said. “Even though we just put pictures, it’s just a really good way to dedicate a day to them.” 

By bringing this celebration to school, people can see the beauty of Latino culture and what this important celebration means to different people across campus. 

“I think that it’s nice to bring culture to the school and to have students understand what cultural things mean,” Rojas said. “Día de los Muertos is a big one for us, not only for Mexico but for the whole of Latin America.”