Dear Year Up,
On November 1st and 2nd, Dia de Los Muertos also known as Day of the Dead was celebrated by Hispanic people as they remembered and honored those who have passed. The tradition originated in Mexico and is a multi-day ritual that involves family and friends gathering to pay their respects to the departed. Traditions connected with the holiday include building altars called ofrendas with the favorite foods and beverages of the dead and decorating the altars with Aztec marigold flowers. Jessica Figueroa (Finance) described her memories of when she lived in El Salvador and how each year, they would go as a family to the cemetery to visit the tombs of those who have passed. Her family would clean the tombs, retouch the paint and writing, and place flowers, followed by sharing stories and remembering their loved ones. Adriana Garcia (Office of the CEO)shared that her family builds ofrendas on the mantle, places pictures of the departed, and uses the marigold flowers and candles to decorate the ofrendas. Adriana describes this day as a way to remember the dead so they are never forgotten. Although Adriana is Colombian and Jessica is El Salvadorian, it is clear that the tradition of celebrating this day is important to the Latin culture as a whole even though individual traditions may be different. To learn more about Dia de los Muertos, click here.
On November 4th, South Asians celebrated Diwali, which is the largest holiday celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists around the world. Diwali is also known as the festival of lights. The holiday is celebrated with the traditional lighting of diyas, fireworks, firecrackers, and lamps. Diwali marks the new year for South Asians and is known to symbolize the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. During Diwali, South Asians wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes, partake in family feasts, and pray to the Goddess of prosperity and wealth, Lakshmi. Sweets, also known as mithai, are shared with families and friends as they welcome Goddess Lakshmi into their homes. This year, I was proud to accept the offer of Aarti Lalwani to engage in Diwali celebrations. Rhonda Tanner and I joined Aarti in dancing as it is a large tradition in association with Diwali. You can enjoy some further context as well as the video of our dance by clicking here.