Students at Righetti High School in Santa Maria will celebrate Día de los Muertos on Tuesday.
Students and staff at Righetti High School in Santa Maria will celebrate the lives of loved ones and fallen warriors with two rallies featuring live music and dancing during Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) events on Tuesday.
The festive performances will begin at 11:15 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. at the football stadium.
Día de los Muertos is a tradition that goes back more than 3,000 years. It is one of the few practices of indigenous people in Mexico and Central America that has survived more than 500 years of conquest and colonization.
Throughout the week, students are planning an altar-decorating contest and carnival, and the International Language Department will have two taco trucks where students can order food.
The activities were organized by the student group, Latinos Unidos, and are designed to promote cultural awareness and diversity.
“Along with my fellow board members and student volunteers, we hope to bring our classmates, teachers and community back together through an honorable event full of fun activities to remember our loved ones,” said Susana Espinoza, Latinos Unidos president.
“As board members of Latinos Unidos, we are expected to be diligent with our work while providing an enthusiastic environment for all students. We annually hold and facilitate a Day of the Dead Rally where students get to experience a traditional celebration,” said Carlos Gonzalez, Latinos Unidos vice president.
“After a dreadful year, we decided to bring back the tradition of the past with our rally at school. In the rally, we give a variety of volunteers the opportunity to embrace their side of leadership. They personally gain the experience of seeing what it is that we need to do to hold this rally. We recruit members for dancing and painting. These activities are most famous out of all due to it being so interactive.”
“This rally is something that will bring us all back together after such a long time of being apart. It’s something very exciting for all of us, and I can’t wait to gather as a group, celebrate and educate people about Mexican culture,” said Samantha Perez, public relations.
Patricia Villalobos, Spanish teacher, IL department chair and Latinos Unidos adviser, added, “It fills me with so much pride and joy to see how eager students anticipate and prepare for all our upcoming Día de los Muertos events. These festivities create a collaboration between staff and students that brings about healing after such a long quarantine.”
email: mmcmahon@newspress.com
