By: Hailey Mcconnell, Maya Hutagalung
Filling the Visual Public Art building with art, music, food and live performances, Cal State Monterey Bay recently held their 29th annual Día de los Muertos Celebration with the Visual and Public Art department, Otter Cross Cultural Center and El Centro.
Día de los Muertos is a Mesoamerican tradition that honors the dead by welcoming their spirits back to the land of the living for a reunion.
This event is one of CSUMB’s longest running events as students of the Day of the Dead Workshop, VPA 209, are the main organizers. This class teaches students about the holiday’s traditions and how to apply them to a celebration.
“From a Western perspective, we often consider death as something that is very sad. And I think what’s wonderful about this celebration is learning how to greet death from a different perspective of joy and celebration and observation of the life cycle,” said Samatha Saldona, lecturer of VPA 209.
A path of golden marigold petals welcomed around 200 guests to the sign-in desk. When signing in, people were offered a screen printed T-shirt and a pathway to the Ofredna gallery being held in the VPA building 70.
Lining the walls were mini-Ofrendas, each made by a student in VPA 209. There were loved ones, pets and even celebrities in the altars.
“All of these Ofrenda’s or mini altars are dedicated and designed in a way that really honors that person… it doesn’t have to just be solely something that’s maybe rooted in Aztec culture. You can add your own spin because ultimately we’re honoring our ancestors and they come from everywhere,” said Saldana.
Colorful papel picado– perforated paper decorations– hung all across the ceiling of the VPA building and an accent wall held images and descriptions of loved ones, civil rights activists and CSUMB alumni who have passed. Additionally, in the corner a larger Ofrenda was built, to celebrate the loved ones of alumni and current students.
“We all just kind of did that as a class and that was a very good teamwork activity. Because we all just kind of did whatever design we wanted and everyone was like, ‘oh, I like your design, I like your design,’” said Violet Campos, a VPA 209 student.
The neighboring gallery room contained ofrendas from various campus clubs and organizations, including Folklórico de Monterey Bay and the Otter Cross Culture Center.
As guests finished moving through the gallery, they had the opportunity to get their faces painted with skulls to match the festivities. Guests also enjoyed freshly baked panes de muerto alongside hot cocoa as the sun set.
“I never really grew up with this tradition culturally but I am Mexican so slowly as we’re losing our elders, I’ve been learning more about the culture and my aunts and uncles as well because we didn’t really grow up with the tradition,” said Olivia Palacios, a fourth-year biology major. “I think getting to experience this brings more of a tie into my culture and understanding my culture and my history.”
Outside, the festivities continued with speeches from students, beginning with land and labor acknowledgements, then testimonials to the meaning of the holiday. Included was a moment of silence for those who have passed.
Folklórico de Monterey Bay performed three, ballet folklórico dances. Balancing lit candles on their heads, the dancers began with La Bruja, a traditional dance from Veracruz. The flames represent loved ones. Throughout their performance audience members applauded and belted Gritos for the dancers.
Movimiento Cósmico, the Aztec dancers, came next. The first performer stood on the pseudo-stage and opened on the drums. The other performers entered from behind the audience and joined him in dance while blessing the space with incense.
Their last dance, a sacred mayan dance, centered around community. One dancer dipped her hands and feet in and out of a ceremonial fire to honor both the ancestors and the attendees.
Lidia Doniz, an Aztec dancer, ended the performance by telling the audience to go share this experience with those who could not come, in hopes of spreading the tradition to all.
“For people of color, we have a variety of cultures that are represented in our class this year, which we assume every year, right?” Saldona said. “CSUMB is such a beautifully diverse campus. And so I think what the beautiful thing is, is that representation, that celebration, and also the opportunity to open that up to anyone who’s willing to observe and participate.”