University’s Día de los Muertos Celebration Honors Loved Ones, Connects Cultures

As a foodie, Ethan Rodriguez enjoys the traditional menu items associated with the spiritual and cultural celebration of Dia de Los Muertos, a holiday that originated in Mexico with celebrations beginning on the last days of October and concluding on the second day of November. Rodriguez said that when he thinks back to the Dia de Los Muertos celebration he attended as a first-year student at The University of Scranton, empanadas and Day of the Dead bread are not what stands out most. 

"Probably my favorite part was everybody being together. I know Day of the Dead is a very respectful event when it comes to honoring the dead, and when it comes to people, I like seeing everybody smile and talk about something really deep to them and share about someone they miss," Rodriguez, a senior political science major with a legal studies concentration, from Connecticut, said.

This year, Rodriguez volunteered to help with preparations for an Oct. 31 Dia de Los Muertos festivities set to take place in the Multicultural Lounge of the DeNaples Center from 8 to 10 p.m.

Leading the efforts on campus is Jose Sanchez, Cultural Center assistant director with direct oversight of the Multicultural Center.

"It's a cultural event that happens in Latin American countries. The focus of the event is to recreate the way that we honor loved ones who have passed," said Sanchez of the annual celebration that University has hosted for the past 10 years. 

"In Latin American countries and other places, they honor their loved ones by having an ofrenda, a table, more like an altar, photos of loved ones, their favorite food, also favorite things that they like to do, like sentimental mementos of their time when they were with us."

"So what we're doing new this year is a community ofrenda right here in the Multicultural Center. Students can decorate it or write the name of a loved one they would like to honor on Day of the Dead candles. They can decorate a luminaria. We will provide frames so if any student would like a picture of a loved one to be added in our ofrenda, they can do that," Sanchez said.

"It's amazing. It's one of the things that shines throughout the whole night," said Rodriguez, describing the ofrenda.

He said he plans to include a picture of his great-grandmother, who played an important role in his mother's upbringing.

"I wish I got closer to her, but I was an infant when she died."

The University of Scranton also hosts a prayer service in collaboration with Campus Ministry.

"We explain the significance of Day of the Dead. It's a way for us to pray for different things happening around the world and the people who are being impacted by global events. In the past, we have done a prayer for immigrants, for the war in Ukraine," Sanchez said.

Rodriguez contributed to the script for the prayer service.

"I know that the world right now is a very scary place with everything that's going on. ... The best thing that I can do is be the change to help people to realize and just be more aware," he said.

As part of the cultural experience, students will be invited to participate in interactive events.

"Students can decorate their own sugar skull and skull masks. We're giving tote bags to the first 50 people to attend. We are also going to have butterfly origami because the Monarch butterfly has a strong significance," Sanchez said. 

Register for the event on RoyalSync.

The origami is a new aspect Rodriguez suggested for the event.

"The paper has a background that is a very beautiful orange that represents the Day of the Dead," Rodriguez said.

Attendees will be invited to sample traditional food including empanadas, Mexican chocolate and tamales. 

"In Latin American cultures, death is not the end. It's a way for us to keep our loved ones in our lives through this tradition. Any community members can join us — students, faculty, staff," Sanchez said. "It's a really nice tradition for other cultures to remember and do."