Many think that taking a language class involves only learning to speak it. In reality, speaking that new language is only a part of the curriculum which also challenges students to read and write that new language, and incorporates lessons on the culture of the countries where that language is spoken. One such lesson in the study of Spanish is that of Día de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead.

Día de los Muertos is a 3,000-year-old ritual celebrated in Mexico and many other parts of the world in which families remember their deceased relatives. And while Halloween and Día de los Muertos share a few similarities, both are very different festivities that really don’t have much in common besides the time of year, costumes, and skulls.

The roots of Día de los Muertos reach back to indigenous people like the Aztecs, Toltecs, and other tribes living in the area that is now Mexico. They believed that death was a natural part of life and that their deceased loved ones only wandered into another sphere of existence. As long as the living people remember their deceased ones, they are not dead. Hence, it’s a celebration of life and not a time to mourn the dead. Another important aspect of the festivities are the ofrendas, or altars, that are decorated with flowers, candles, incense, toys, tokens symbolic of the person, and food the deceased person enjoyed.

Mount Pleasant High School Level 2 Spanish students had the opportunity to create an ofrenda for a loved one, relative, or inspiring famous person that has passed away. The students could create their ofrendas in groups or individually. The ofrendas are now on display at the Mount Pleasant Public Library and the Mount Pleasant High

School library where they will remain through the end of Día de los Muertos, November 2.

Photos:

1: MPHS Spanish II students and teachers with their display of ofrendas at the Mount Pleasant Public Library

2: Logan Curley presents her ofrenda to King Von

3: (L to R) Mishelle Ysasi, Morgan Zepeda, and Haley Garcia with their ofrenda to Michael Jackson

4: (L to R) Eilene Martinez, Jannely Aguilar, and Kenlee Jaggers display their ofrenda to Mac Miller