Have you ever heard about Dia de Los Muertos? If not, it is a Mexican tradition where people celebrate their loved ones on certain days which are November 1st and November 2nd. As these days start coming up people start to decorate ofrendas, which is a table decorated with pictures of loved ones and their favorite foods, candles, and flowers. As people set these up it brings joy and emotion because not only are they celebrating for them, but it also brings back memories of them.

Here at North the Pando group decided that this year they would put up an ofrenda right outside the library. This was organized by Pando sponsor Sandra Sanchez and Spanish Angela Oropeza.

As Sandra was inspired by the saying “las culturas y herencias y las historias die down because you don’t pass them to your family’. She mentioned this to her co-sponsor and they both decided to make the ofrenda and have people who were willing to bring pictures of their loved to place on the ofrenda.

As each picture was being brought in, they had their own story to tell. One thing that Mrs. Sanchez mentioned was that “even though we come from different backgrounds, there’s one thing that unites us, which is grief”.

The goal of this ofrenda is for our loved ones to come and accept the offer and hopefully find peace. Everyone felt the joy and were thankful that their loved ones were on the ofrenda. As one of the staff here at North, Officer Mock, had her father on the ofrenda she stated that “it brings some emotional things back and it also makes me proud that my dad is up there”.

The group hopes to continue celebrating Dia de Los Muertos not only for next year but for many more years and hope to make me bigger every year.