While classrooms around the Lakeland have been learning about ghosts, ghouls, and pumpkins in preparation for Halloween, one class has been learning a little bit about Los Dias de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead.
Arturo Romero teaches conversational Spanish for the Bonnyville Community Learning Council (BCLC) and he decided to bring a little bit of his own culture into the classroom, teaching his students about the Spanish-equivalent of Halloween that falls on Nov. 1 and 2.
“I am teaching the Spanish class here and the dates are similar to Halloween. I was telling the class that we have another festivity, it's almost the same,” he explained. “The culture is almost the same. The date is different but we're celebrating the dead. Here, it's Halloween. For us, it's to celebrate the dead.”
The holiday is based around the idea the dead return home on Nov. 1 and 2 to visit and be able to enjoy the things they used to like.
Altars are prepared and family members set favoured foods and symbols of their loved ones on them, as well as flowers, photographs, and candles.
Sometimes, Romero explained, altars can contain toys for children who have passed on, and the point is to remember them with love and remember the dead are waiting for their loved ones in a better life.
“For our culture, it's a very important day,” he explained. “It's when we honour our ancestors. We remember all the people we used to know. It can be our grandparents, sons, fathers — all of the family members. Sometimes we remember our friends. You can put in the altar something regarding your friends. We have strong feelings about family and community.”
In honour of the event, students of Romero's Spanish class constructed an altar in the hall of the Provincial Building, filling it with gifts for loved ones they have lost, from cans of Coke to bottles of liquor, a few children's toys, and some remembrances for dead pets.
“I'm happy to be here in the community,” Romero said.
“I'm happy that Nicole (Ferbey, learning and literacy director for BCLC) gave us the space to share some culture and all the students are very glad to participate.”
