San Diego Mesa College’s Languages Department hosts a Dia de los Muertos celebration on campus Wednesday, Nov. 2.
As part of the celebration, there will be viewings and discussions of the film “Days
of the Dead: A Living Tradition” in room LRC 435 at 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and a second
viewing at 11:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.
The documentary focuses on the artistic traditions, social gatherings and sacred history
of today’s celebrations, a result of the melting pot of Mesoamerican rituals and the
Christian holidays brought to Mexico by the conquistadors, according to Films.com.
Interactive activity booths will be set up at the LRC Quad, where participants can
create nichos (mini alters), mascaras de calaveras (masks of the dead), ofrendas (offerings to
the deceased) and flores de cempasúchil (marigolds). The booths will be set up on Nov. 2 from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
An alter for the deceased has been erected by Fine Art Professor Alessandra Moctezuma’s
Chicano art class and Spanish Professor Dora Schoenbrun-Fernandez’s Spanish 201 class.
The Dia de los Muertos alter will be on display in the LRC until Nov. 5.
“The Day of the Dead Celebration Event is an opportunity to celebrate and learn about
the rich cultural contributions and history of this Hispanic event, widely celebrated
in San Diego,” Schoenbrun-Fernandez said. “The event provides students the opportunity
to learn more about the rich cultural heritages of the campus population and to broaden
their views on such topics as art, heritage and a cultural view of death.”
Dia de los Muertos is supported by the Mesa College Humanities Institute and the Peer
Navigators Program. For more information about the event, contact Dora Schoenbrun-Fernandez
via email at dschoenb@sdccd.edu or via phone at (619) 388-2228.
Tags: Dia de los Muertos