Day of the Dead celebrated at Saint Vincent School

Friday, Nov. 20, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — Middle-school students at St. Vincent de Paul School studied All Saints Day and All Souls Day as they are celebrated in Hispanic culture. Together, they are called Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). 

To prepare for this special day, a family builds an altar in memory of their deceased loved ones. The altar contains things the person enjoyed in life, and also items intended to draw their soul back to the altar, like flowers, candles and food. In this tradition, death is celebrated, and people celebrate with their loved ones who have died. 

Students wrote a biography about a friend or family member who died, and built an altar to honor them. Students went on a field trip to the Utah Cultural Celebration Center to see a display of different altars and to make some traditional items for their altars. 

To conclude their studies, the students presented the altars to the class and also had a Dia de los Muertos celebration. The altars were displayed in the school’s main foyer, allowing the school community to reflect and pray for those friends and family members who have died.  

“I built an altar for my dad’s grandma, because she means a lot to me and my dad,” said student Emily Blair. “I had fun learning about her, and this project was really special to me.”

Courtesy of St. Vincent de Paul School