Día de los Muertos, known in English as the Day of the Dead, is a traditional Mexican holiday bringing together families and friends to honor and remember loved ones who have passed away. This multi-day celebration is deeply rooted in rich cultural traditions, with the ofrenda being one of the most significant elements. However, there are many other meaningful ways to celebrate, including the creation of sugar skulls, the intricate art of papel picado and the vibrant, imaginative designs of alebrijes.
Oakland University’s Hispanic Aspiring Leadership Organization (HALO) has been taking part in the celebrations of Día de los Muertos by creating an ofrenda displayed in Kresge Library with the help of OU’s students, faculty and staff. On Nov. 4, HALO hosted an alebrijes night where attendees had the opportunity to create their own alebrijes figure and even get the chance to add it to the ofrenda on campus.
Alebrijes are Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures that feature colorful designs and a blend of features from real and imaginary animals. They’re associated with Día de los Muertos celebrations for their vibrant colors and patterns.
“Today’s event is mainly to have a community event involving all students,” Maximiliano Lara, vice president of HALO, said. “We want to bring people together, regardless of where they’re from and be able to celebrate something that is specifically celebrated in Mexico and to bring those traditions to Oakland University.”
As part of OU’s celebration of Día de los Muertos, students from Hispanic and non-Hispanic backgrounds were invited to take part in a fun activity where they created colorful clay alebrijes to join in the holiday’s festivities.
“I didn’t know anything about alebrijes in particular, but I have a little bit of knowledge about Día de los Muertos because I’ve studied Spanish a lot throughout my school career,” freshman Shelby Porta said. “I thought it would be a really cool event to come to to kind of celebrate Dia de los Muertos.”
Although the holiday is primarily a Hispanic one, it has become well-known among the general public, thanks in part to the film industry.
“I think movies like Coco and The Book of Life are really important for holidays like Día de los Muertos,” junior Joannie Texta-Romero said. “Even though I grew up Hispanic, my family doesn’t really celebrate the holiday and I didn’t know that much about Day of the Dead and those movies helped.”
OU has a vibrant and diverse community of students from a wide range of backgrounds and organizations like HALO help create spaces where students can celebrate and express their cultures.
“I hope that our club provides a space that people can come and kind of feel comfortable and safe and that they can celebrate who they are and not feel judged,” Jenna DeVoogd, president of HALO, said. “I think right now with the different adversities that the Hispanic community faces in the light of the current political realm, it’s important to show that we’re still here.”
