Students commemorate holiday in cemetery

Passersby on Fee Lane Thursday night might have noticed a crowd of students standing around the cemetery in front of Foster Residence Hall. More than 40 IU students gathered together despite the evening's cool temperatures to learn more about Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead.\nDia de los Muertos is a three-day Mexican holiday celebrated from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 to honor relatives who have passed away.\nIn the cemetery, members of La Casa served hot chocolate to keep students warm while Lillian Casillas, director of the La Casa Latino Cultural Center, spoke about her own family's traditions for celebrating Dia de los Muertos when she was growing up.\nThe cemetery is traditionally used as the location of the celebration during the holiday as graves are cleared and decorated and gifts are left for the spirits of the dead, Casillas said. \n"My family would have a meal, for instance, in honor of my grandmother," Casillas said. "We would eat her favorite food -- enchiladas."\nCasillas also recalled spending the entire night in the cemetery, but said the holiday is not meant to be frightening at all and is in no way similar to the American tradition of Halloween.\n"It's not meant to be scary. It's about celebration and remembering your family," Casillas said. "And not even just family, but sometimes other things like animals, too."\nThe tradition began with the Aztecs and was originally celebrated at the end of July or beginning of August. When the Catholic Church came to America, it had the tradition of All Saints Day which was celebrated Nov. 1 and 2, and the two holidays were merged because of their similarities, Casillas said.\nThe Aztecs believed souls continue to exist after death, resting in Mictlan, the land of the dead, not for judgment but "sort of just hanging out," said Antonio de la Cova, a professor in the Latino Studies department at IU. \nThe belief continues that for one day each year, the souls could return to their home land to visit their loved ones, de la Cova said.\nAside from the trip to the cemetery, a buffet was set up inside Foster with snacks for the students, including chips and salsa. The room was brightly decorated with neon-colored shredded papers and an altar for students to use for their own memorials of their family and loved ones.\nMany of the students present were members of Sigma Lambda Gamma, a co-sponsor of the event. Others said they came to the event because of pure interest and curiosity in the holiday.\n"I came because it is something I know very little about, but I have always been interested in since I was a little kid," sophomore Samantha Lomax said.\nA candle is left on the altar and lit for each family member, and the light is said to attract the spirits.\n"You always light an extra candle to be sure that no one is forgotten," de la Cova said.