Students and faculty gathered at Oxnard College on Sunday to honor the life of dead friends and relatives.
OC’s annual Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead celebration, kicked off at four in the evening and went on until eight in front of the Student Center on campus.
The celebration featured free hot chocolate, bread, music, a De Danza Azteca group, as well as traditional alters built to honor the dead.
MEChA advisor Everardo Rivera says that when it comes to honoring the dead, having a good time is the first order of business. “With Day of the Dead, we are celebrating the person’s life,” said Rivera. “What was the person like in life? What did they like to do? So we celebrate that life, and make it joyous, make it happy.”
According to Catalina Navarreate, who is originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, traditionally the holiday for her starts with a trip to a cemetery at one in the morning on Nov. 1, where she sits near a grave with a wax candle. A breakfast is prepared for the dead, which in her case is chocolate. She then stays at the cemetery until the wax candle is completely burnt out.
Navarreate, who preferred to speak Spanish and used Rivera as a translator, says that these customs are very important to her.
“Her ancestors have instilled in her the tradition to keep going, and it must be done from one generation to generation and pass on these teachings to the next generation,” said Navarreate.
Before taking the stage, the De Danza Azteca group blessed the alters in a procession.
After marching around the campus quad, the group then took the stage.
Teacher and leader of the group Pedro España says that the dance is a sacred part of Mexican heritage. “These dances are traditions that came from the grandparents to the parents and from the parents to the child,” said España. “These dances are the true root of Mexico.” Rivera says that the holiday Día de los Muertos is strongly rooted in indigenous Mexico. “We want to let the people know the college is for them,” said Rivera. “The college should be a part of the community, and this is just an extension of our ancestral brothers and sisters.”