About This Series
Our families want to know what’s new in local schools. So we’ve created the Our Students Have Class feature series. We will visit classrooms and ask educators what they are teaching. We will also ask students to reflect on what they’re learning and what it means to them. This is the third installment in the series.
Día de los Muertos and Halloween may have similarities, but they’re as different as dogs and cats. Both Día de los Muertos and Halloween may even be celebrated in the same household, but these holidays have long histories and originated in different places.
What Is Halloween?
Halloween’s hallowed jack-o'-lantern has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, during which people would don costumes and light bonfires to ward off spirits. Pope Gregory III declared Nov. 1 as the day to honor saints or All Saints Day. That day began to incorporate some of the traditions of Samhain, and its name changed from All Saints Day to All Hallows Eve to Halloween. Most people now celebrate on Oct. 31; however, many people still take part in All Saints Day on Nov. 1. People originally began wearing costumes because they were afraid they would encounter ghosts and wanted to pass as their fellow spirits.
What Is Día de los Muertos?
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, originated several thousand years ago with the traditions of the Aztec, Toltec, and other pre-Hispanic (before the Spanish came) cultures in Mexico and Latin America. Usually observed on Nov. 1 and 2, Día de los Muertos is a celebration of life and death and is said to take place at a time when the gates of heaven have opened. The living relatives of these spirits create ofrenda, or altars, to welcome the spirits with their favorite foods, family photos, and a candle for each departed loved one. Many NHS students celebrate the holiday and enjoy the experience of making ofrendas for their loved ones.
“It makes me feel like I’m closer to them, like they’re still there,” said Emily Santos, an NHS sophomore.
Guadalupe Cruz, a sophomore who is taking Spanish II with Santos, said she feels similarly.
“I feel like setting up the altar gives me peace; doing something to honor their spirits heals my soul a little bit,” Cruz said.
How Are NHS Students Celebrating Día de los Muertos?
Newberg High School students and staff came together to honor Día de los Muertos as its own unique holiday and to share the meaning of that holiday so that everyone could come to know it better.
Students in Spanish I cut out paper altars; students in Spanish II crafted skulls and skeletons; dual language learners wrote tributes to their families in Spanish; students who are English language learners wrote tributes to their families in English; and the ofrenda is the work of the students in Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA), an NHS chapter of the student organization that promotes higher education, culture, and history.
Newberg High School Teacher Paco Benetti was one of the leaders of the NHS activities, instructing his Spanish II students on the significance of Día de los Muertos and how it is celebrated in various Latin American countries, during the week of Oct. 30 to Nov. 3.
“They will have the chance to watch informative videos that explain the holiday's origins, customs, and importance in different communities,” he said. “They will be participating in creative activities, such as coloring and decorating traditional sugar skulls, an ofrenda (altar) that represents the elements necessary for life on Earth, different types of food, and pictures of deceased family members, which are an iconic symbol of this vibrant celebration.”
Seeing the E Wing at NHS was swathed in Día de los Muertos crafts and culture inspired Benetti’s aide, senior Peyton LaRosa. She doesn’t mind printing materials and reading papers for Benetti’s Spanish II class, but the chance to paint and create filled her with joy.
“It’s been really fun,” LaRosa said. “It’s cool to do. It’s the creative aspect of Spanish. The fun activities help benefit others’ learning.”
Photo 1: From left to right are Newberg High School sophomores Guadalupe Cruz, and Emily Santos, and Teacher Paco Benetti’s Spanish II student aide Peyton LaRosa, a senior. They studied Día de los Muertos during the week of Oct. 30 to Nov. 2.
Photo 2: This is an example of an ofrenda.