UW-Stevens Point students celebrate Dia de los Muertos

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) – Students from the Latino Student Alliance teamed up with the Multicultural Resource Center to honor and celebrate Dia de los Muertos at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

The holiday, also known as the Day of the Dead, is a Mexican cultural tradition that celebrates life and death.

“In Mexican culture, family is the most important thing. Grief is difficult for everyone. It can get sad, it can get hard for people, so make sure we celebrate the life that person had on earth,” said Litzy Gomez, president of the Latino Student Alliance at UW-Stevens Point. “And making sure that they are still with us and that we don’t forget them.”

The Latino Student Alliance set up altars with ofrendas (offerings) to honor their deceased loved ones and invite them to join in the celebration.

“Put their favorite food, their photos, marigold flowers and just a few of their favorite items on the offering so that when their loved ones come to visit, they can enjoy them,” Gomez said.

The displays are arranged in The Edna Carlsten Art Gallery at UWSP and will be available to the public through November 7.

On November 1, the opening reception welcomed everyone to enjoy live traditional mariachi music and traditional food and drinks. People were also invited to bring photos of their loved ones and place them on an altar.

“Giving people the opportunity to learn about the holiday by participating,” Gomez said.