Duquesne’s 2023 Day of the Dead Altar will be on display from October 23 through October 31 at Gumberg Library. It is co-sponsored by the Center for Hispanic Studies. The altar was decorated by students in Dr. Laura Gild's Spanish 2 class.
This program aims to contribute to the University's mission in promoting multicultural perspectives and awareness by converging the feeling of being embedded in a Latin American communal celebration with a rewarding experience of learning a new language in a relaxed and fun environment.
Duquesne's 2023 Day of the Dead Altar commemorates these individuals:
Fernando Botero, a Colombian figurative artist and sculptor
The Day of the Dead is an important celebration not only in Mexico but also in other parts of South America. Indigenous Pre-Columbian societies celebrated the dead before the arrival of the Spanish. After their arrival, the celebration was aligned with the Catholic celebrations of All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2) creating a phenomenon which in anthropology is called religious syncretism. Every region or town celebrating the Day of the Dead does so in their own unique way. In recent times, due to the significant Spanish population in the United Sates, it also has become one of the most popular festivities for Hispanic and non-Hispanic communities in some states.