Creating an ofrenda is one of many traditions associated with Día de Los Muertos. Students at Saint Mary’s College are remembering their deceased loved ones with an ofrendathat will be displayed onthe second floor of the Student Center until Nov. 4. Students made decorations to be featured on the ofrenda at the Student Diversity Board event on Monday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Haggar Parlor.
“Ofrenda” is Spanish for “offering.” The ofrenda is placed on an altar, which together traditionally celebrate the lives of family members who have passed away.
The ofrenda is sponsored by the board along with the Center for Faith, Action and Ministry and La Fuerza. Senior Johanna Gonzalez, the Student Diversity Board secretary, said that support from these groups provides further inclusivity across the campus community.
“Both of these organizations are helping us with also decorating the ofrenda that we have as well as promoting it and spreading the word to the campus community,” she said. “It ties in with CFAM as not only is it a traditional Indigenous Mexican practice, but it also has correlations with Catholicism and Christianity and La Fuerza is our Hispanic/Latina club on campus, so having their support is very important for their board members and their general members as well.”
Students were able to embellish foam skulls and decorate various picture frames with gems and markers. They were also able to submit photos ahead of time for the pictures to fit the sizing of the frame, with envelopes laid out and designated for each student.
Gonzalez said the event tied to Día de Los Muertos as “we are using the decorations that the students are making and the images that they submitted to display our own ofrenda on the Saint Mary’s community.”
Members said they wanted to spread further educational awareness about the cultural tradition for the campus community to help understand its significance.
The ofrenda display helps achieve that by “presenting a little bit of background for different holidays like this and what they mean to the culture of the people that participate in it,” senior Sophia Andalon, the organization’s event committee chair, said. She has participated in similar events since her sophomore year.
Some students said they would like to see further involvement in making the ofrenda display, but still found the event helpful and fun.
“Just off the top of my head, maybe helping decorate or arrange the bouquets or flowers or physically help make the ofrenda would be fun. But I think this event is perfect,” sophomore Makiah Ramsey said.
Students also said cultural traditions like these provide further inclusivity to the College’s campus community by opening it to people from various cultural backgrounds, providing a space to ask questions about the holiday.
“I feel like it’s very important to incorporate these traditions because we have a good number of Latina students and it’s not a tradition that’s only exclusively for Mexican culture,” Ramsey said. “Although it originated in Mexico, a lot of Latin American countries celebrate it. A lot of people who come from different backgrounds as well like to celebrate it.”
Gonzales encouraged students to check out the ofrenda display to see the work put in by the students to celebrate this tradition.
“Even if you didn’t submit a picture, check out the ofrenda. Look at all the decorations. Visit the community that’s passed away and is back for the holiday,” she said.