Día de los Muertos: Welcoming the Spirits to TAMUG    

Dia de los Muertos, a long-standing Mexican tradition, made its debut on campus this year with the help of Campus Living & Learning and the Student Intercultural Learning & Engagement (SILE) Department. 

Dia de los Muertos is the celebration of the lives and memories of loved ones who have passed away. Offerings of delicious pastries are brought to an altar as it is believed the spirits of our loved ones would be able to take it with them in the afterlife.

Alba Salvat, the intercultural specialist for the SILE spoke to the Nautilus about her involvement to bring the celebration onto campus.

Alba explained that despite being from a different culture, her uncle was from Mexico. Because of his passing, Alba believed “This was a great opportunity for me to celebrate him and his memory, specifically because I wasn’t able to go to his funeral recently.”

More than 10 students submitted their photos of their loved ones, which were lovingly framed and placed onto the altar at TAMMA hall, chosen specifically for having a denser concentration of students. In the picture above, it can be seen that many breads, cookies, and pies were brought for offerings, and it is hoped that the altar and offerings increase in size as the years go by.

“Everyone wants to remember their loved ones who passed away,” said Alba. Alba stated that she wishes for more students–including those who are not culturally Mexican–to participate for next year since this was the first official time they held Dia de los Muertos for the entire campus believing it would be a “beautiful opportunity” to share time and stories with each other.