If you visited the Kent Student Center, Bowman Hall or Tri-Towers in October, you may have noticed displays of colorful flowers, paper cut outs, painted skulls, candles and many photos of people and pets. They are ofrendas (home altars) put together by members of S.A.L.S.A., the Spanish and Latine Student Association to celebrate el Día de los Muertos – the Day of the Dead.
Ofrendas in the Kent Student Center
This holiday is celebrated in countries around the world, beginning on the evening of Nov. 1 and continuing through the day on Nov. 2. It is definitely more of a celebration than a somber remembrance, said Aimee Flores (pronounced EYE-meh Floor-ez), a senior, with a double major in Spanish and psychology, from Twinsburg, Ohio, who is the current president of S.A.L.S.A.
“It’s definitely more of a celebration,” she said. “You definitely need to treat it with reverence whenever you’re celebrating the Day of the Dead, but for the most part, I would say that most Mexican holidays are a celebration.”
The Elements of an Ofrenda
The home altars hold specific, symbolic elements, in addition to photos of the loved ones being remembered. They represent the elements of nature, earth, wind, fire and water. There are candles, water and paper cutout banners, called papel picados, that represent the wind. There are also marigolds. “Marigolds are super huge in Aztec culture in the relationship between life and death,” said Flores. “That’s why you see them a lot in movies like ‘Coco.’”
Photo of Bowman Hall ofrenda courtesy of Kent State's College of Arts and Sciences
Ofrendas can be found in the cemetery where the deceased is interred or in the home, and they have different layers or tiers where you can display all of the loved ones and friends who are important to you, Flores said.
Photo of Bowman Hall ofrenda courtesy of Kent State's College of Arts and Sciences
There are usually also offerings of the deceased’s favorite foods, “But we obviously can’t have food out in the Student Center," she said.
Aimee Flores shares the traditions of The Day of the Dead
S.A.L.S.A. at Kent State
As an organization, Flores said, S.A.L.S.A. is dedicated to “the celebration of all cultural identities under the Latino, Hispanic, Spanish umbrella, which includes Brazil and Haiti.”
“Anybody who is under that Spanish-speaking umbrella would be considered part of S.A.L.S.A. and we’re definitely not exclusive to those identity groups, either,” said Flores. “For the most part, it’s just thinking of different ways that we can share those cultures under that umbrella.”
Flores invites anyone who wants to know more about S.A.L.S.A. to “just ask me!”
