The Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions (LCR) will once again host Día de Muertos festivities from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Plaster Student Union Ballroom.

The biennial event is free and open to the public.

“Día de Muertos — or Day of the Dead — is a joyful and meaningful celebration that honors and remembers loved ones who have passed away,” said Dr. Vanessa Rodríguez de la Vega, professor of Spanish in LCR.

The festival symbolizes the return of souls to the world of the living, according to de la Vega. “The event encourages reflection on life, memory, and community, reminding everyone that death is not an end but a continuation through remembrance.”

Día de Muertos emphasizes remembrance rather than mourning by combining pre-Columbian Indigenous traditions with Catholic All Saints’ Day customs, de la Vega said. And while the festival is associated primarily with Mexico, it is also celebrated in several Latin American countries, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador and Peru.

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