The Dia De Los Muertos art show at the Ted Falasco Art Centre last month showcased student art and performances.

Dia De Los Muertos, if you didn’t know, is simply what it translates to in English, “The Day of The Dead.”

The celebration began with the Aztec civilizations thousands of years ago in the area that is present day Mexico. When the Aztecs had their festivals, the celebrations lasted for an entire month.

The days events in order are as follows:

Day 1:  “Dia De Los Inocentes” or “Dia De Los Angelitos.”  The honoring of deceased children and infants.

Day 2: “Dia De los Muertos.”  The honoring of deceased adults.

Traditionally in Mexico, families fill cemeteries and gather around the graves of their loved ones and place their favorite foods and comforts around. Celebrations in America greatly differ from this because cemeteries are rarely open at night. So instead, Americans do what some Mexicans do and just build shrines in the comfort of their own homes, still honoring their ancestors and loved ones with the same treatment.

Seats and tables were placed beside the taco trucks that set up shop selling churros, tacos and other Mexican street foods. 

Inside, a long table was filled with memorials to the dead and masks made by the students in Mrs. Gallegos’ sculpture class. Surrounding the tables were boards covered in masks and themed photography by the students in Mr. Danner’s classes. There were also shrines made by members of the community.

What made the event so special was the fact that students and art departments from both Pacheco High and Los Banos high collaborated to celebrate this tradition and share it with the population of Los Banos.