The fourth annual “Camino de los Muertos” celebration took place on Nov. 1, celebrating the multi-day Mexican holiday and welcoming departed loved ones back to campus for an evening of remembrance.
The event, which ran from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., grew exponentially from the previous year, drawing an estimated 13,000 to 14,000 guests, according to Ray Plaza, senior director of the Office for Campus Climate and Belonging at Santa Clara University.
Events and visual experiences included altars, dancing, face painting, vendors, food and traditional costumes.
Ofrendas, or “offerings,” are altars intended to welcome and guide departed loved ones back to the celebration. They are often adorned with photographs, cempasúchil flowers—whose scent is believed to help guide spirits back—candles to light their way, and food and drinks to welcome them after their journey.
Camino de los Muertos featured several public ofrendas created by Latinx and other campus organizations, allowing attendees to pray, reflect and leave written notes for departed loved ones.
Calaveras play a significant role in Día de los Muertos iconography, as they seek to demystify or destigmatize death. Rather than representing something frightening, the makeup and costumes are intended to serve as an ode to departed loved ones, welcoming them home for the celebration.
La Catrina, created by José Guadalupe Posada in 1910, was originally a mockery of the wealthy and their extravagant lifestyles. Today, she serves as a reminder that, regardless of wealth or social status, everyone is the same beneath the skin—and that we all die.
According to Plaza, there were 16 official Catrina’s this year.
Within the traditional market, there were eight food trucks and several food booths serving everything from tamales and tacos to churros and champurrado, a chocolate-based drink made with corn flour that is considered a type of atole.
Día de Los Muertos, and Camino de Los Muertos, serve as a testament to the community built around and on the Santa Clara University campus, from here on earth to somewhere beyond the grave.
As the handwritten inscription above the ofrenda reads, “Tu alma sigue vive, eres el valle de luz que veremos siempre con la certeza de que nos volvemos a encontrar,” which translates to, “Your soul lives on; you are the valley of light that we will always see, with the certainty that we will meet again.”
And, most importantly, “Once a Bronco, siempre un Bronco.”
