Pueblo East High students create school ofrendas for Día de los Muertos
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Pueblo School District 60 high school is honoring the city's Latin community by creating ofrendas for Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead.
The holiday, which is celebrated heavily in Mexico and other Latin American countries, is a way to honor and remember loved ones who've passed away.
East High School's Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) club, the Social Studies department, and Foreign Language Club worked together to create three altars, known as ofrendas.
These ofrendas honor military members, family, and pets.
The ofrendas are decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of the departed, and the favorite foods and drinks of the one being honored.
“Día de los Muertos is truly a celebration of life and the beauty of remembering those who have come before us,” said Leonardo Gomez, a sponsor, in a Facebook post. “During this celebration, the dead sort of become a part of the living world, as families tell stories and reflect on memories of them.”
D60 said East High School is an International Baccalaureate that promotes a culturally diverse education. As part of the education process, freshman seminar classes learned about the meaning and significance of Día de los Muertos.
After that, the students visit the ofrendas to find the four main elements incorporated in the altars; water, wind, fire, and earth.
“In Spanish classes, students compared and contrasted Dia de los Muertos versus Halloween,” Gomez said. “Foreign Language Club members colored skulls (Calaveras) and wrote facts about Dia de los Muertos. There also is a scavenger hunt for teachers and students, with MEChA club members decorating sugar skulls for placement on the altars."
According to the district, Gomez said through dedication and hard work from the MEChA and Foreign Language clubs, setting up ofrendas and celebrating Día de los Muertos at East has become a tradition.
