Photo taken by Abby Villegas
On Nov. 4 and 5, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) organized a Día de los Muertos event on campus, held in Lane Community College’s Multicultural Center. The celebration featured food, activities and community gatherings, creating a space for participants to engage in the traditions of Día de los Muertos.
MEChA president Abby Villegas said, “MEChA de LCC strives to educate, inform, and recreate a space for all students at LCC to learn about Latinx, Chicanx, and Hispanic higher education, social justice, cultura y historia. Every year, MEChA hosts a Día de los Muertos event.”
Attendees enjoyed various Latino foods, including tamales, conchas, menudo and chips with traditional salsa. The event also featured face painting, a photo booth, raffles, mocktails, arts and crafts and movie screenings, offering a range of activities that celebrated the cultural significance of the holiday.
The event highlighted traditional ofrendas (offerings) that honor the deceased, with altars displaying these offerings alongside photos of loved ones who have passed. The yellow marigold, symbolizing guidance, played a central role in the campus celebration. These ofrendas are believed to invite the souls of the departed to visit during Día de los Muertos.
Villegas said that this holiday is a meaningful way for generations to cope with the loss of loved ones through vibrant colors and comforting foods. “Having vibrant colors, the strong aroma of cempasúchil, the sweet taste of pan de muerto, and being around a community helps so much. What is so amazing about this celebration is that every little detail has a meaning — from the four elements being represented to the cempasúchil path and the number of tiers an ofrenda has. It’s such a beautiful setup process, and I cannot express enough how much it brings the community together throughout the event,” Villegas said.
Yellow marigolds, known for their bright color and distinctive scent, in the Mexican culture it is believed to help the deceased find their way back to their families. The Multicultural Center was beautifully adorned with these flowers, including a trail of marigold petals leading to the altar MEChA had prepared.
Although Día de los Muertos traditionally falls Nov. 1–2, MEChA said they chose to hold their event on Nov. 4 and 5 to achieve an important educational goal: to emphasize the difference between Día de los Muertos and Halloween, and to teach students about the sacred nature of the holiday.
Villegas said, “It is important because this celebration often gets confused with Halloween. One event is about wearing costumes and receiving candy. The other is about celebrating many lives that were once lived and sharing those memories and stories with future generations.”
She emphasized that Día de los Muertos is a multi-day holiday that commemorates the remembrance of those who have passed, most commonly observed in Mexico.
Villegas also highlighted that all students are encouraged to participate, not just those who are Mexican or Latinx. “Día de los Muertos is for everyone. You do not have to be Mexican or Latinx to celebrate. I find that this celebration is all about you and your connection to it. If you feel connected in some way, you are more than welcome to create an ofrenda in your home, decorate as you please, or bring photos of your loved ones to add to the ofrenda in the MCC. In fact, I encourage it!”
Find the Multicultural Center in Building 1, Room 206 on LCC’s main campus.
