El dia de los Muertos is annually celebrated on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 for families and friends to celebrate their loved ones who have died and keep them alive in spirit. Traditionally, families build ofrendas (altars), that consist of papel picado (paper banners), cempasuchil flower, the favorite food of their ancestors, pan de muerto, candles, sugar skulls that mirror a departed soul, and pictures of their loved ones.

     To commemorate the Day of the Dead,    the Counseling department invites students to bring a photograph of a loved one, including pets to the counseling office by Nov. 1 to place it in the counseling ofrenda by the media center. 

          The Day of the Dead has been celebrated around 3000 years by the Aztecs, Toltecs, and Mayans, as a way to see death as a natural part of life that should be celebrated instead of mourned. The altar is significant and includes the four elements, water, wind, earth, and fire. 

Water is set on the altar for the spirits to satisfy their thirst. Papel Picado represents the wind and the union between life and death. The candles representing fire are meant to guide spirits back to their families and the flowers since they signify light. 

       Festivals tend to be held where people dress up as Catrinas and Catrines (skulls), sing, dance, and hold parades. Colors play a significant role in the Day of the Dead as each color has a special meaning. For instance, black symbolizes the land of the dead, white demonstrates hope and purity, purple demonstrates the mourning and acknowledgment of losing a loved one and pink represents joy as the souls of the dead can meet with the ones they left behind.