In a blur of skulls, color and music, the University of Oregon’s annual Día de los Muertos’ celebrations came to a close Friday night with a crowd of over 200.
Although UO MEChA was the official organizer of the celebration, the group collaborated with the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Oak Hill School, Adelante Sí@@all checked@@ and various groups in the Eugene community.
“It is very important,” said Armando Morales,@@checked@@ Chicano community advisor and teacher at Oak Hill School. “It’s something I have inside of me. It’s traditional. It’s an indigenous part of me.”
Morales has been part of the event since its inception 1981, when he was a member of UO MEChA.
Friday’s fiesta was the finale to three days of activities honoring the deceased. With the exception of Halloween, events ran Thursday and Friday and featured artist Alejandra Espinosa Andreu as a keynote speaker, sugar skull workshops with Benita Rodriguez Alvarez as well as Los Musiqueros de Guanajuato – a group of six musicians, singers and dancers.
“It went great,” said Carolina Nava, MECha programs co-director. “People always love Los Musiqueros — we feel like we are in Mexico when we listen to them.”
Poems written in English and Spanish and news articles were read to commemorate those who died on the U.S.-Mexico border without being identified or having their bodies returned to their families. MECHa members passed out white ribbons to honor those deaths.
A giant ofrenda — a Día de los Muertos altar — covered in skulls, marigolds, food and photos of loved ones as well as prominent Latino figures were also set up for each day’s event.
According to Nava, while the holiday is one most people celebrate with their families, being able to put together a community event that extends beyond the UO creates an environment where everyone can share something special.
Ricky Salinas,@@checked@@ MEChA’s budget director, stressed the importance of not limiting the event to only UO students.
“I think sometimes when you’re at (the) university, you live in an insulated bubble, especially if you’re not from Eugene,” he said.
Salinas elaborated that reaching out to the community has ties to Mexican culture where bettering oneself is sometimes accomplished by promoting the group, family or society.
“It’s interesting … I’ve really learned to appreciate my culture and take it back,” said Liz Avalos, MECha’s internal director. “This is actually my second year celebrating Día de los Muertos, personally.”