Dià de los Muertos is a three day long celebration in Mexico and Latin America that takes place from October 31, to November 2. Lucky for us, Hawthorne High School has made its own celebration of Dià de los Muertos or “Day of the Dead’’ that took place all day Friday, November 2nd. This was a huge hit at HHS and brought in a lot of money to help out the Spanish Club.

The celebration is made to honor deceased relatives and give them love and respect. If you were to go to one of these countries who have large celebrations for this day, you would experience lots of food, music, parades, and time spent with family. One of the many special traditions done is Ofrenda or “altars”. These altars are decorated with food, candles, flowers, and the special Day of the Dead bread, pan de muerto and these are made to welcome deceased relatives back to visit for the holiday.

The Spanish club puts so much effort into making this event happen for us. There are tons of food available for purchase as well as drinks, activities, music and more. The festival is a great experience to try new things, or revisit a culture.

CLARION: How much time does it take to plan the HHS celebration of Dià de los Muertos?

Ms.Martinez : The festival planning takes as long as the first two months of school from the first day of school to the day it happens. Whenever Spanish Club meets we talk about what we’re going to do, signing up for working, who’s bringing what, activities etc.

CLARION: Do you celebrate outside of school?

Ms. Martinez: No, it’s huge in Mexico, they go in cemeteries at night and celebrate there with family. In Columbia , where I grew up, I usually went to church on that day. They would talk about a special mass for people who passed away and loved ones who passed, but as I came here, I was more aware of traditions and it’s just always nice to remember the people who have passed.

CLARION: What is your favorite part of the festival at HHS?

Ms. Martinez: My favorite part of the festival is the impression of the teachers and students tasting different foods. For example, a freshman last year had empanadas for the first time and he loved them so much and kept coming back for more. That’s what I love seeing, that the students are being introduced to a new culture.