Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican ancestry living in other places, especially the United States. It is acknowledged internationally in many other cultures. The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey. Dia de los Muertos has its origins in Aztec traditions honoring the dead. The Aztec Empire’s influence extended throughout present-day Mexico and Central America, while few Native Americans of the present-day U.S. shared Aztec traditions, they would be unlikely to adopt Dia de los Muertos rituals. The Mexican Day of the Dead celebration is similar to other societies’ observances of a time to honor the dead. The Spanish tradition includes festivals and parades, as well as gatherings of families at cemeteries to pray for their deceased loved ones at the end of the day.

On the 19th of November , our very own Dual Immersion kids held a Day of the Dead event at Eleanor Roosevelt High School combined with River Heights Intermediate and Harada Elementary. The event was to celebrate the significance of the event and represent the Hispanic tradition. It consisted of various dances, speeches, games, food , and bonding time for families. I personally interviewed two seniors , Kayla Morril and Hugo Pelaez, who were the speaking representatives of such a prideful event to see how they felt about the event.

Kayla Morril: “This was our second annual Dia de los Muertos event and it was amazing, we had so much support and help throughout the entire day. As a senior this was sadly my last time being a master of ceremony for the event, it was a great experience that i will always cherish! Being up there in front of hundreds of people was very nerve racking but with the support of my peers and teachers i managed to pull through it and i couldn’t be happier with the results. The celebration was a success we had the opportunity to embrace the Hispanic culture along with our families,friends and staff  creating a unique bond between us all. Dual Immersion isn’t just a program we are a family and I am grateful to be apart of one loving family!”

Hugo Pelaez : “Día de los Muertos is a cultural tradition that connects generations and people from all the American continents now. This event celebrates our loved ones who are in a better place besides being sad about their death. It was an honor for me to be master of ceremony of this wonderful event and also really thankful to everyone that made this event happen and everyone who came to have fun. This was the second  year of Día de los Muertos and there’s many to come with fun activities and more culture. “