MILWAUKEE — Nov. 1 marks the celebration of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. It’s a time to honor lost loved ones and celebrate heritage in Mexican culture.
Students at St. Anthony School in Milwaukee are celebrating Dia de los Muertos in their classrooms.
Inside Marcela Montes De Oca’s Kindergarten classroom is an ofrenda — an offering place or altar — that celebrates culture and heritage. She said it’s something she’s excited to be able to share with her students.
“Growing up, it wasn’t something provided to me. But as a dual language teacher, it’s more than just teaching students Spanish and English. It’s about teaching them about their culture and how to connect with who they are and their identity and help them build confidence in that,” Montes De Oca said.
Her students helped create the altar by including pictures of their lost loved ones, adding fruit and other treats, along with candles.
One student, Sophia, placed three pictures on the ofrenda. She put a picture of her grandpa, aunt and pet chinchilla that she’s lost. She said it’s nice to see her lost loved one’s faces while at school.
“Because I miss my family,” she said.
St. Anthony’s has more than one ofrenda in the school. Right inside the main entrance is another one, with traditional items including candles, food and names of loved ones.
“The altar los muertos has three levels,” Manuel Gaona, an art teacher, said. “The first levels [is for] candles. The candles mean when people pass away they have a light to lead the way. The second level is for food, candies and drinks. We bring candies, food, everything people like before they pass away. The last level is the sky, when people come with God. They are relaxing and enjoying their next life,”
For Montes De Oca, being able to share a part of her own heritage and culture is something she’s glad to be able to do with her students.
“It’s really special,” she said. “For students who share the same cultural background as me, it’s important for them to see someone who is a good cultural role model [and] shares similar identities as them. For students who are not from the same cultural background, it's impotent to expose them to diverse cultural experiences so they can expand their world view.”