by Darcy Burford
Daily Lobo
A crowd of about 50 faculty, staff and students gathered Tuesday for the blessing of the altar, one of the many customs associated with the Mexican holiday D°a de los Muertos.
El Centro de la Raza organized the event by putting up decorations and bringing in special guests to bless the altar.
Brightly colored paper, foods such as fruits and candy, photographs of loved ones and crepe paper flowers were used on the altar to create a feeling of happiness for those who have died.
Celestina Torres has worked at El Centro de la Raza for four years and helped put the altar together.
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"D°a de los Muertos is a celebration," she said. "It's about not forgetting who your loved ones were and knowing that they're always with you."
The audience participated in the event by reciting prayers, lighting candles and remembering loved ones with photos and letters they put on the altar.
Crystal Espinoza attended the blessing for her Spanish heritage class and participated by lighting candles.
"The altar is beautiful," she said.
Artist Kathleen Schweizer said she attended the blessing to compare El Centro de la Raza's altar to ones she saw in Mexico.
Schweizer lived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for two years and said she observed D°a de los Muertos events during her time there.
"The altar is similar, although I'm used to seeing more live marigolds than crepe paper ones," Schweizer said. "The blessing is also usually at nighttime and involves more tequila."
Altars are usually set up in homes or cemeteries at this time of year. Torres said she has a smaller altar at home.
To show respect for the dead, participants put photographs on the altar along with favorite foods or representations of the hobbies of people who have died. To bless the altar, the participants light candles, prepare special foods for the ancestors, and burn copal incense. The scents of the flowers and incense are said to be consumed by the spirits, while the participants eat the food.
Handmade skeletons also adorn the altar to represent an active and joyful afterlife.
The traditions of D°a de los Muertos have been practiced for more than 500 years.
Torres grew up with the culture and rituals of the holiday.
"For me, it's always been something big," she said.
El Centro de la Raza has built and blessed an altar every year since 1993.
