Honoring Those Who Have Passed On With Altars, Pan De Muerto

While Halloween is a day Americans like to be scared and All Souls Day (Nov. 2) is a day American Catholics may go to Mass, the Mexican custom of Dia de los Muertos is very different from both of them.

At a Friday Dia de los Muertos celebration at Niles West High School, Spanish teacher Luisa Karimighovanloo showed visitors around the small ofrendas, or altars, students had made to honor members of their families who had passed on. They were in the Lit room, where nearly 75 students and family members had gathered for the event.

"The idea is that the living and the spirit world come together (on Nov. 2 each year) and the spirits come to life. So you put in (the ofrenda) anything they used to enjoy. Even though they don't eat, the essence (of any food you put in the ofrenda) fills them," said Karimighovanloo.

The students had decorated their ofrendas with photo of their deceased loved ones, as well as their favorite foods and things associated with their hobbies or favorite pastimes.

"It's not a sad holiday, because what better thing than to be remembered," the teacher explained. "It's maybe sad when you have just lost the person." 

The Futuro Latino club had also created a large ofrenda, with two life-sized skeletons (borrowed for a couple of hours from the anatomy lab and dressed in clothing), as well as marigolds, the traditional flower for Dia de los Muertos, and lot of pictures and mementoes.

At the tables, families chatted while nibbling on pan de muerto, a frosted or sugared bread made especially for the holiday. Kids worked on various crafts, including drawing colorful designs on skulls.

Karimighovanloo, who was born in Spain and has a Spanish mother and Persian father, teaches Spanish for Heritage Speakers, and said it has expanded to two classes because the population of interested students is growing.

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