LA HABRA : Lively Day of the Dead Celebration

La Habra High School students got more than a lesson in Latin American culture Monday. They dealt with death through song and art, learning about the Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

They spent the morning speaking and singing in Spanish--an effort for many of the students who are in their second month of learning the language through accelerated courses that are part of the school’s Heritage of the Americas program.

The first year of the humanities program teaches 95 freshmen about the culture, customs and history of North and South America. They were joined Monday by students from the high school’s English-as-a-Second-Language classes to learn about the Day of the Dead.

The Nov. 2 holiday blends the customs and beliefs of the indigenous Indians of central and southern Mexico and the Roman Catholic traditions of All Souls Day. In contrast to the mortal fear associated with Halloween lore, the Indian-Hispanic celebration embraces death as a natural part of life. Instead of mourning, it welcomes the memory of lost loved ones as a time for happiness.

“I thought death was a time for sadness, but now I know you can rejoice and remember, too,” said Heritage student Julie Morris, 14, whose father died earlier this year.

During the session, the students learned about ofrendas , the offerings that resemble mini-altars and are dedicated to a deceased relative or friend. The memorials generally display a photograph of the deceased along with favorite mementos and foods.

A few students presented their own ofrendas , including Carolynne Halls, who honored her great-grandmother who passed away last month.

“I immediately thought of her when I learned about this holiday,” said Carolynne, 14, who is one of the 50 non-Latino Heritage students. On a pink ofrenda is displayed her great-grandmother’s photo, cookie cutters “because she loved to bake,” a Bible “because she was Catholic,” a mirror “because she was vain,” and a prism “because she was a colorful person,” Carolynne explained.

In the front of the classroom, a table was set as a general ofrenda with dried chilis and maize, a bowl of black beans, limes, tortillas and candles. Traditional Dia de los Muertos imagery in the form of a paper dancing skeleton and a print of smiling skeletons also decorated the colorful table.

The students worked together to learn “La Llorona,” a folk song about the legend of a Mestiza spirit who spends her days crying over lost love and death. Accompanied on guitar by their teacher, Suzanne Charlton, the ESL students helped those Heritage students with shaky Spanish skills sing the lyrics.

“The ESL classes are often excluded because of the language barrier, but the (Heritage) students are actually benefiting from their presence by being here. It’s a chance to integrate the ESL students into the rest of the school,” Charlton explained.

The rest of the class workshop was spent carving potato halves into skull stamps for use on the ofrendas . Each spud skull was then dipped into paint-filled tins and red, green, blue or black images were stamped on sheets of blank butcher paper. Many of the students will be exhibiting their memorials at a celebration held on the campus this Friday.

At the end of the day, students sampled pan de muerto , a sweet bread made specifically for the holiday--and literally defined as bread of the dead. Although Monday’s serving came from a local Mexican bakery, the homemaking classes at the high school will be baking their own pan de muerto for the festivities later in the week.

Heritage students will also make special appearances at other classes, speaking about the history and cultural significance of Day of the Dead for the campuswide celebration.