Day of the Dead comes to IU

If one considers the skimpy costumes and barrage of parties stereotypical of Halloween, then skeletons and paper flowers could be the iconic symbols of Dia De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

Students from Foster Quadrangle gathered inside Foster-Harper Formal Lounge on Sunday night to celebrate the Hispanic holiday. The event was sponsored by the Latino Cultural Center, Foster International Living-Learning Center, Global Village Living-Learning Center and Foster Quadrangle.

Foster Residence Coordinator Zelideh Cabada said Dia De Los Muertos marks a day when Hispanic citizens gather to remember their deceased relatives and commemorate their lives. The holiday is a combination of both Christian and indigenous cultures. While Day of the Dead is celebrated in many Hispanic countries, Sunday’s event focused on its celebration in Mexico.

“The whole point of it is going back, having a day to remember the dead and remembering their life,” Cabada said. “Basically, it’s celebrating life through death.”

Some of the activities included flower paper tissue making, as well as Papel Picado, a “Hispanic snowflake” used to decorate altars and graves. The bright multi-colored flowers create an attractive atmosphere for the deceased to welcome them back, Cabada said.

Foster Resident Assistant Jorge Wellmann led the participants in a modified Quema del Diablo, or burning of the devil. Wellmann distributed pieces of paper with cartoon devil images and had the attendees write down any problems in their lives. He then placed them in a shredder to rid them of their problems.

Wellmann said while the holiday continues on, its history is becoming less important for the youth.

“For my brother and I, it was ‘let’s go trick-or-treating,’” Wellmann said. “That’s where you can see the divide and the family history being lost.”

Cabada and others served tamales, Pan de Muerto, sweet bread, rice, beans, corn and traditional Mexican candy.

Another custom includes cleaning the graves, making them welcoming with flowers and food and showing respect for loved ones.

Sophomore Willy Hernandez, Foster resident and volunteer at La Casa, helped participants make flowers to take with them. He said family members try and make the altars look as unique as possible to represent the dead.

“You want to make it as creative, as much as ‘them’ as possible,” Hernandez said. “Whatever they like, you put on the altar.”

Sophomore Samantha Moulier, an RA at Foster Jenkinson, summarized the celebration.

“It’s a time to be happy, not sad,” she said.