The Taylor Center presented a Día De Los Muertos event on Nov. 1, collaborating with ¡Presente! and SOMOS members. Día De Los Muertos is a celebration in Mexico and other parts of Latin America that honors and remembers loved ones who have passed away.
Students started coming in to hear delightful soft Spanish songs and be immersed in the colorful decorations. On one side of the room, there was a Catrina face painting station where two lovely artists painted anyone who was interested. In the center was a beautiful ofrenda accompanied by papel picado banners, small candles, holy water, a traditional Christian cross made of salt and paper marigolds, ready to receive photos or letters from our St. Olaf community.
Further down, there was a table full of warm tamales of red salsa with pork, green salsa with chicken, and even a vegetarian mix to go with a Jarritos drink. Besides the tamales, there were orange rice and brown beans as side dishes, alongside salsa verde. The students quickly started to line up once the organizers announced that they were starting to serve food — I was most definitely one of those students. On another table, there was pan dulce (sweet bread), chocolate and vanilla conchas, and pan de muerto (bread of the dead).
In another room within the Taylor Center was a photo booth set. There was a huge monarch butterfly in the background and a ring light set and small monarch butterfly hair clips for students to enjoy. The monarchs and their migration to Mexico symbolize the souls of passed loved ones returning to visit for Día De Los Muertos. As the celebration continued, students socialized and enjoyed their food and pastries.
Gracias a todos los que se unieron para dar vida a esta tradición en St. Olaf College. Este evento nos trajo juntos en un momento especial; fue inolvidable.
