Alyssa Hempfield-Best | staff writer

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a traditional holiday within Hispanic culture that takes place the first two days of November and honors lost loved ones with a fiesta, or party.

The celebration is one filled with bright colors, music, dance, laughter and joy.

“Día de los Muertos is not to be sad. It’s actually a day to celebrate those people who have left, but they were with us,” said Dr. Lucia Osa-Melero, director of Center for Hispanic Studies and professor at Duquesne.

For the past 10 years, Duquesne has celebrated Día de los Muertos through the Spiritan Campus Ministries. This year, they collaborated with the Center for Hispanic Studies and the Gumberg Library to replicate a traditional Día de los Muertos altar.

Giovan Cuchapi, Spiritan Campus Ministry liaison, played a key role in the creation of the celebration.

“It helps us understand their life after death, and at the same time it also reminds us we are connected, even with our loved ones who have gone before us. It is part of the story of humanity. It is part of our being connected as humans,” Cuchapin said.

The altar is one of the most important aspects of the celebration, and its offerings serve as a reminder of all the good parts of those who have died and a way to express gratitude and respect to those who are visiting, according to the Center for Hispanic Studies.

The altar featured photos of those who have died, sugary bread that is normally eaten during Día de los Muertos, candles and objects that are sentimental to those being honored.

This year, those honored were natural disaster victims, Ozzy Osbourne and Ace Frehley.

Duquesne’s altar also displayed children’s toys and books, paper-made cempasúchil flowers, salt, water and colorful skulls, all common things associated with the Day of the Dead. Cempasúchil flowers are bright orange and yellow flowers that symbolize the connection between life and death.

The celebration is centered around the coexistence of culture and religion, said Osa-Melero.

While traditional aspects of Catholicism can be seen within the celebration, Día de los Muertos is rooted in indigenous religion, Osa Melero said. The fusion can be seen through indigenous elements such as the use of cempasúchil flowers and Catholic elements such as the use of crosses.

The celebration kicked off Monday morning with a prayer session led by students and staff in attendance.

During this prayer, students took turns standing as they prayed in Spanish, before the altar was blessed by the Rev. Simon Adu-Gyamfi.

Attendees of the celebration were also offered the opportunity to write a message to a loved one who has died on a paper butterfly that will be displayed in the reading room of the Gumberg Library as the celebration continues.

The use of butterflies reflects the Purhépecha nation’s belief that when someone passes on, they become a butterfly, according to the Center for Hispanic Studies. The sight of butterflies flying around the cemetery is common during the Día de los Muertos celebration, often symbolizing the return of loved ones who have died.

Día de los Muertos at Duquesne is not only a tradition for those within Hispanic culture, but a learning experience for those who are not familiar with it.

“It’s learning something new from different places, and I feel like that’s important when you’re learning about language,” said Kayla Derouseau, a student attending the celebration.

The altar will be available to visit in the reading room of the Gumberg Library until Nov. 4th.

Alyssa Hempfield-Best can be reached at gasparrohempfia@duq.edu