The SLOHS Mexa Club celebrated Dia de los Muertos outside the gym this morning. Photo Courtesy of SLOHS Expressions Adviser Scott Nairne.

  Students all across San Luis Obispo High School know about the extremely popular cultural holiday, the Day of the Dead. Celebrated throughout Mexico and the United States in early November, Day of the Dead serves as an opportunity for families to honor their ancestors and those that have passed in a respectful but celebratory manner.

  This season the party hasn’t slowed down at all, with many parades and festivals being held in honor of the holiday. Students have also been feeling the spooktacular sensations of Halloween, and due to their similar timing and themes of death, the holidays are sometimes confused together despite being completely unrelated.

  “Dia de los Muertos is not ‘Mexican Halloween’. It’s a cultural tradition and not one to be confused with American customs,” said freshman Alexander Bastidas.

  Not only does Dia de los Muertos date back centuries prior to Halloween, but is also much more personal and heartfelt then some might realize. Whether it’s due to a recent passing or reflecting on prior generations, Dia de los Muertos is a very personalized time of year, unique to each who participates.

  “There’s multiple ways to celebrate Dia de los Muertos, and in the extended timespan compared to Halloween there’s more opportunities to have festivals and parties as well as emotional periods,” said Bastidas. 

  It’s worth noting that days honoring ancestors is something anybody can do and enjoy. Tigers who didn’t or couldn’t celebrate this year should realize that honoring relatives and enjoying delicious foods is an experience open to all, and would benefit everyone to be a little more grateful to our ancestors who made it possible for us to be alive today.

Source: nationalgeographic.com, britannica.com