Latino Unidos Club Celebrates Dia de los Muertos

An altar created by Latino Unidos Club, where many NP3 students put pictures of their loved ones.

By Maisha Mostafa
Co-Editor | The Pacific Times

Ms. Hernandez putting face paint on a student.

The Latino Unidos Club, NP3 students and teachers celebrated “Dia de los Muertos” or “Day of the Dead” on Nov. 1.

This was the second year Latino Unidos Clubs’ hosted the two-day celebration on campus, joined by many students who were not members of the club.

Club members decorated a classroom with items like paper flowers, colorful banners, and more. An “ofrenda” or altar was created with photos, along with candles and sugar skulls, to remember loved ones who have died.

A portrait of “La Calavera Catrina”.

Some members of the club also dressed like “La Calavera Catrina”, or “The Elegant Skull” with skull face paint and traditional dress.

“La Calavera Catrina” was a satirical portrait created in the early 1900s by the Mexican printmaker, José Guadalupe Posada. The image was originally used to mock Mexican upper-class women for imitating European traditions like fancy hats and gowns.

However, the portrait has now become an powerful symbol for the celebration to embrace and laugh at death and that it is equal to all, regardless of one’s social status.

The club adviser, Dulce Hernandez, also assigned her students a project of making their own altars in order to fully engage with the roots of Latin culture.  

An altar remembering a loved one made by a student.

Many students decorated their altars with paper flowers and momentos in honor of their loved ones. These altars were placed on across all of the desks during the celebration.

The club members and adviser also brought traditional foods like conchas or “sweet bread” for the celebration

“Day of the Dead” is celebrated every Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 and welcome to all to join.

The Latino Unidos Club celebrating “Day of the Dead” with fellow NP3 students.