Halloween typically signals a time for candy, costumes, and spooky rituals, but for members of Harvard-Radcliffe RAZA, a Mexican social, cultural, political, and professional organization on campus, the holiday is not the only thing to celebrate in the coming week.
On November 1st through November 2nd, Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, encourages those of Mexican heritage to honor their deceased loved ones. “The Day of the Dead is essentially a celebration of life and the afterlife,” expressed Mariana Haro ’23, president of RAZA. “I think oftentimes people think it’s about celebrating death, but it’s really celebrating the life that people had.”
For Coby Garcia ’25, treasurer of RAZA, Día de los Muertos allows him to explore his roots. “It’s an opportunity to recall the great sacrifices that my ancestors took in order to enjoy the quality of life I have [and] reconnect to my heritage and remember the faces that make up my culture and identity,” he said.
The holiday was historically celebrated by the Aztecs in Mexico as a way to honor the dead in a month-long event, guided by the goddess Mictecacihutal. When the Catholic church rejected the holiday, the Day of the Dead was transformed by those of Mexican heritage into a prominent event in which it is believed the living and the deceased reunite.
Members of the Mexican community celebrate all over the world by hosting parties and parades where they dance, sing, wear bright-colored makeup, and dress in vibrant costumes. The symbol of the “clavera,” or the skull, decorates the altars that families create for their loved ones and people’s faces in paint.
Displayed in homes or public gathering places, altars bear gifts for the deceased. “The idea is that by putting this offering, which typically is food, next to a picture of them,” explained Haro, “they come back and visit. That’s us honoring them.”
Each year, RAZA hosts a get-together to celebrate Día de los Muertos. “We also bring Pan de Muertos, which is a traditional Mexican sweetbread that’s eaten during that time,” said Haro.
Celebrating the holiday with the RAZA community provides members with support while they honor those they lost. “It’s very special to be able to come together with a lot of friends and commemorate and remember our passed loved ones,” explained Karla Avalos ’24, a board member of RAZA. “Bringing that community together reminds me so much of home, and regardless of the event, has made my experience here, being so far from home, so much easier.”
RAZA gives students a way to bring their family traditions to college. “Our board is made up of individuals who represent a diverse community here at Harvard and through that, we attempt to celebrate all aspects of Día de los Muertos,” Garcia stated. “RAZA allows students to connect with their homes and roots through celebrations and outings in Boston.”
The Peabody Museum will also be hosting a celebration on October 29th, which will feature altars, arts and crafts, music, dance performances, and food. “That’s something nice that I also like going to and seeing, and a lot of students can go to that as well,” Haro commented.
Haro will be celebrating and honoring her grandfather this Día de los Muertos. “He passed away in Mexico during the height of Covid-19 so we couldn’t go back and travel. He is someone that has been on my mind for the last two Dia de los Muertos. He’s someone that I will be thinking a lot about for this year, too.”
While Garcia will be celebrating his grandparents, he also will be honoring the lives that were lost due to gun violence, as the holiday is not restricted to just celebrating close family and friends, he explained.
“This year, I will make an active effort to celebrate the souls we’ve lost to school shootings and gun violence, especially the children lost during the Uvalde shooting and the tragic deaths in the San Antonio Trailer by keeping those individuals in my prayers, creating ofrendas to remember their faces, and actively support productive discussions around their deaths all while maintain their dignity and peace,” Garcia said.
Avalos will be remembering her great-grandmother and explained that the holiday is a way for her to get closer to the values of her family and friends. “My family and I take a chance to reflect on our family’s origins and the upbringing our great relatives had. In celebrating with others, I enjoy hearing about others’ family histories/origins and the unique ways they choose to remember their families, whether that involves food, photographs, [and] story telling.”
For students of Mexican descent, the end of October calls for two celebrations: one more light-hearted, filled with candy and spooky traditions, and the other, more significant and personal.
“Día de los Muertos for my family is a day of reflection, gratitude, community, and tradition,” RAZA member Katherrin Billordo ’26 expressed. “We look back at memories shared with our passed ancestors, promise to continue their legacy for years to come, and pray that their souls have found peace.”
Layla Chaaraoui ’25 (laylachaaraoui@college.harvard.edu) writes News for the Independent.