Duquesne’s 2025 Day of the Dead Altar will be on display from October 27 through November 4 at Gumberg Library. It is co-sponsored by the Center for Hispanic Studies, Spiritan Campus Ministries and Gumberg Library.
Fr. Simon Adu-Gyamfi, CSSP will bless the altar on Monday October 27 at 11 a.m. All are welcome to attend. Traditional refreshments will be served.
There will also be brief presentation on the history and customs surrounding the Day of the Dead traditions in the United States and Latin America by students in Dr. Laura Gild's Spanish classes.
This program aims to contribute to the University's mission in promoting cultural 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.
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.
