Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a part of the Woodside community and is celebrated traditionally on November 2nd, to honor ancestors by putting up altars.   

According to the University of Arizona, Dia de los Muertos comes from the Aztec ritual about 3,000 years ago called Miccaihuitl, which had to do with harvest and honoring the dead. The holiday started in Mexico and has become very popular with three out of four Mexicans celebrating this holiday, according to Statista.  

“I think it is a celebration that gives me an opportunity to remember you know, your loved ones who passed away,” Spanish teacher Ilse Tapia said. “I feel like a lot of people think that it is something sad, but it should be a celebration.”

According to pbs.org, some Dia de los Muertos traditions are decorating gravesites and celebrating with fiestas that include, dancing, playing music, feasting, drinking and even dressing up as death.

”I feel like it can be to deal with grief and also it helps to build community,” Spanish teacher Ramon Pulido said. ”It’s a tradition that has been around since Meso-Americans.”

As a long-standing tradition, many people continue to celebrate Dia de los Muertos today.    

“It is important because it represents how death is seen as an extension of life and so instead of mourning people who have passed, we celebrate their lives and their memories,” Spanish teacher Karen Dorsey said.