Oxford Academy students and faculty came together at the OA Family Center on November 1st to construct and exhibit a stunning community ofrenda (altar) in celebration of Día de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday to celebrate the lives of lost loved ones. Led by Ms. Karen Ortega, OA’s FACES chair, the event aimed to commemorate cultural pride and unity.
Held at the newly established Family Center, Ms. Ortega expressed her goals for the event, “We want people to come together as one community and celebrate our loved ones. Death can be a hard topic for many people, but this celebration offers a way to remember and celebrate the life of a person.”
She hoped to showcase Oxford’s culture, stating, “There’s so much diversity on our campus, and I wanted to reflect our community, our school, and the people we love.”
The altar, adorned with photos and contributions from students, faculty, and parents, was also designed to be a symbol of the Oxford community.
“When you see their history, their loved ones, the people that surround them, you get to learn more about who they are, and how they came to be,” added Ms. Ortega, “it allows you to connect deeper with people, and that’s the goal too, that we connect our community together.”
Each table at the altar was themed differently, some featuring catrinas (decorative skeletons) while others focused on velas (candles) and cempasúchil (marigold) flowers.
Cempasúchil flowers, as one parent volunteer, Ms. Zulema Limon explained, “guides souls to the celebration with their scent,” while velas, “represent the light at the end of the tunnel.” Other elements of the altar included handcrafted papel picado (decorative paper crafts), calaveritas literarias (satirical poems written for Day of the Dead), and artwork, from the students of Ms. Hansen and Ms. Stephan (OA’s art and spanish teachers). Alongside the many personal tributes and photographs provided by the community.
“It takes a village to put something like this together,” the coordinator emphasized. “It’s really nice to see the excitement that people have to participate.”
The exhibition drew participation from many community members, sparking conversation of family traditions and stories of loved ones. Ms. Ortega highlighted that, “The goal is to share culture. You don’t necessarily need to be of the same background, but when it comes to things like traditions, it’s just sharing that wealth of your culture, it’s always beautiful to experience other cultures.”
After taking her students to see the altar, Ms. Stephan reflected, “It brings the whole school and parent community together, and gives our students a real audience. They weren’t just making the papel picado for the classroom, but for the whole school community.”
Oxford’s first Day of the Dead community altar celebration served as a spirited reminder of the power of culture, remembrance, and community. As Ms. Ortega concluded, “We all need that spark of creativity and community, and I hope this opens doors for more of those kinds of opportunities on campus.”
