Though it has been a few weeks since the Day of the Dead, it does not mean the holiday spirit cannot remain in our hearts. The life lessons intertwined with the Day of the Dead should be taken with us throughout the year. It is special that this holiday is only celebrated once every year, but it would be mentally and emotionally positive to learn how to process grief whenever it strikes us.

The Day of the Dead is an annual holiday mostly celebrated by the Hispanic community. It originated in Mexico and is rooted in ancient Indigenous rituals. The Day of the Dead was celebrated by the Aztec people to celebrate their ancestors. The holiday honors deceased loved ones while providing a healthy way for communities to process grief. Working through grief in a healthy manner is a universal theme anyone can relate to or feel inspired to pursue. For example, ofrendas, which are altars with food, candles, and flowers made to honor and remember deceased loved ones in a healthy way.

The DuPage County community celebrating a holiday centered around the beauty of life and death was nearly nonexistent. Chicago was alive with parades, festivals, communities and neighborhoods coming together, making their ofrendas, they even had 5k walks. What did we have? The contrast was striking. Our community stayed quiet while others were filled with color and remembrance.

With last month being Mental Health Awareness Month, the College of DuPage has made its intentions clear. Administrators want to create an open and positive environment for our students to become more emotionally intelligent. The evidence for that policy can be seen in the college’s Peercare, personal counseling, and counseling services. The Day of the Dead promotes emotional intelligence, so why did the college overlook it? This article is not about waving a finger to one person or group, but to everyone. Even if we did not have a big event to celebrate the holiday, it could have been a time for students to celebrate the Day of the Dead in their own unique and personal ways.

The Day of the Dead helps with grief by transforming mourning into a celebration of life. The holiday encourages participants not to dwell on the negative aspects of their lives. Instead, the holiday acknowledges the beauty of life while we are still alive and encourages us to be grateful for it. 

The holiday puts a positive spin on grief by creating traditions to properly cope while celebrating. According to Sage Therapy, people create rituals while celebrating the Day of the Dead, such as building ofrendas and visiting graves to accept their loss. This helps them manage overwhelming feelings of grief and allows them to work through them.

People believe that on this holiday, spirits visit their families on earth. They are then greeted with ofrendas so the spirits know even in death they are still remembered and honored. This allows families to feel more connected with their lost ones and with their emotions.

By offering the dead gifts such as food and flowers, it gives families an opportunity to express unsaid feelings. This provides closure.

On top of formal events to celebrate the Day of the Dead, local communities celebrated in their own traditional ways. Little Village, a neighborhood in Chicago, is known as being a welcoming place for people to set up their ofrendas. Local events like these bring communities together while creating a positive environment to express and relieve people’s grief. This promotes the themes of unity and emotional openness. There is no reason we couldn’t do something similar at the College of DuPage to help students become familiar with this healthy way to process grief.

Though the Day of the Dead is a holiday to promote community, there were no local community events to celebrate it. Building trusting relationships and communities helps some people through grievances.

According to Right As Rain, Day of the Dead events encourage other people to tell stories, no matter if they are about sadness or joy. This creates an open environment for people to be encouraged to be more in touch with their emotions. According to Heart, getting in touch with our emotions promotes positive feelings and reduces stress during the grieving process. According to McCaffety Funeral Home, 76% of people value the experience of talking with other people about grief.

Not everyone celebrates the Day of the Dead, but the values that go with this holiday can be interpreted, appreciated or celebrated by anyone. 

I am not asking for a big celebration for the Day of the Dead. I just want the themes of the holiday to be acknowledged. The Day of the Dead, to me, is being OK with loss and learning how to live with it. Whether people celebrate the Day of the Dead or not, I hope they can take the time to reflect on its meaning. To remember, to heal, and to love beyond loss.