FMU’s Modern Languages (MOLA) and Spanish departments hosted a Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, altar contest.
The contest allowed current MOLA and Spanish students to create an elaborate altar to honor figures or individuals in their lives who have passed. The altar features included paper flowers, candles, pictures of their loved ones and personal items that belonged to the featured individual(s) on the altar. A total of ten participants made altars to honor family members, celebrities and even their pets.
The altars stood outside the MOLA department from Oct. 24 to Nov. 8. Students and faculty voted for their favorite altar by writing their selections on a piece of paper.
After a tally of the votes, the MOLA announced the winners on Nov. 2 in front of the exhibit. Taylor Tanner, senior biology and Spanish double major, made an altar to honor her dog, Chelsea. Tanner received the first-place prize of $150 for the efforts made on her altar.
“I had her my whole childhood life,” Tanner said. “I wanted to honor her for Day of the Dead this year.”
Alongside the ten student-made altars, students from the FMU Honors class ‘Narrating the Border’–Liliana Rojas, Shelby Copeland and Grace Pérez–set up a special altar exhibit.
“It pays homage to the Yuma 14, a group of Mexican immigrants who attempted to cross the Mexico/U.S. border in May 2001 but perished in the Sonoran desert from heat, dehydration, and a trek gone awry.” Wendy Caldwell, professor of Spanish and contest organizer, said. “It also memorializes all who have lost their lives trying to cross the border in search of a better life.”
Taking place annually on Nov. 1 and 2, Dia de los Muertos celebrates and remembers the lives and memories of individuals who have passed with festivals, food and, most notably, colorful altars.
Day of the Dead altars typically include photos and small belongings of the deceased, decorated skulls of sugar, flowers, as well as food and water. Certain meanings are associated with the different elements of the altar, such as salt representing the purity of the spirits, petals from marigolds are said to lead the spirits to the altar and photos to help the spirits identify their altar. The altars are usually built in layers with lots of decorations and colors.
A consistent annual event at FMU, the contest has served not only as a way for students to learn more about the culture surrounding the holiday but also as a way for them to honor those who have passed.
“I underestimated the significance of the experience to surpass a cultural project and become a mechanism for expressing grief,” Caldwell said.
Students who missed this year can participate again in next year’s contest. More information on Dia de los Muertos, FMU’s altar contest, as well as information on the Modern Languages department, can be found in the MOLA department offices in CEMC.