University Chronicle Extras:
Movies
|
Rate a Pic
|
Horoscopes
|
Career
|
Scholarships
|
Travel
|
GradZone
News
Briefly
Calendar of Events
Commentary
Sports
Diversions
World News
Classifieds
Login
Letter Submission
Search
Archive
Publishing Policy
Mail Subscriptions
St. Cloud State University
College Publisher
Home
>
Diversions
SCSU celebrates the dead
By Beth Kern
Published:
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Media Credit: Ching Fung
Emmanuel Ortiz spoke at the SCSU "El Dia De Los Muertos," or "The Day of the Dead" Tuesday at Atwood Center. This celebration urges people to remember those who have died. Information on the celebration can be found at Atwood Center throughout the week.
Fear of death may be normal in contemporary American culture, but this isn't true in other cultures, especially in Mexican and Central and South American cultures.
El Dia de Los Muertos is a tradition rooted in Meso-American culture. For 3,000 years prior to the landing of the conquistadores, American natives celebrated the Day of the Dead. Unlike the Celtic tradition of Samhain from which Halloween stems, the Dia de Los Muertos is spent in celebration, not fear, of the spirits that have come to visit the living. Europeans were repulsed, perhaps even disgusted by the seemingly mocking celebrations surrounding El Dia de Los Muertos. Skulls kept as trophies were displayed openly to honor the dead. Skulls in Aztec and other Meso-American cultures symbolized death and rebirth. For these cultures, there was life beyond mortal life.� Death to them was merely a crossing over. They believed that life was a dream and only in death did they become truly awake.
"It is a celebration of the dead," says Professor Steven Casanova, co-advisor of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), a nationwide student organization to aid the advancement of Chicano students. "It's not necessarily like Halloween, but a memorial of those who've died."
Recognition of El Dia de Los Muertos varies from country to country and region to region. It is in many ways a community celebration in which families and communities gather to spend a day in the cemetery remembering loved ones who have gone before them, or to don wooden skull masks known as calacas and dance in honor of deceased relatives. In most American cities and in Mexico, families erect ofrendas, or alters, adorned with candles, pictures of the deceased, marigolds, wooden skulls dedicated to the dead and often the decedent's favorite food and/or drink. Often an incense such as copal is burned on the ofrendas alongside the candles. Skulls made of sugar with the name of the deceased written on the forehead are eaten by a relative or friend.
"It is an ongoing celebration," said Manuel Ortiz, guest speaker at the presentation in Atwood Lounge. "The spirits come back to walk with us and we celebrate that."
"Each year we have a theme," says David Mendez, a member of MEChA. "This year we remember those who have died without justice."
Some of those remembered are the Women of Juarez. More than 350 bodies of women have been found in and around the city of Juarez over the last decade.
"It really hit home to me and my family," says Lucia Mendez, also a member of MEChA. "We have cousins that live in Juarez."
According to information supplied at the event, authorities in the state Chihuahua have shown little concern for these incidents. They have downplayed these crimes, slating the victims as prostitutes or saying the victims deserved it because of their actions.
"We want to bring awareness to these murders," Mendez said. MEChA branches across the country are likewise working to bring awareness to these crimes that continue.
MEChA also hopes to bring awareness to other issues facing Latin Americans in the United States.� Mendez said that this includes the unpaid labor that goes into picking Taco Bell's tomatoes and Pizza Hut's mushrooms.
"We ask you to help us boycott Taco Bell to help bring awareness to this issue," Mendez said.
Manuel Ortiz urges people to remember and honor the dead this weekend.
"Dust off a few photos of them. Make their favorite food. These are ways of celebrating their memories," Ortiz said.
"They live on because of our memories," Casanova said.
