ACC CTN Campuses Create Altares de Muertos

Students and others on ACC Highland campus were encouraged to “grab a butterfly and write on it a thought dedicated to someone who has passed away or to place an image of someone who has passed away” on their Altar de Muertos. There are also altars displayed at the South Austin and Riverside campuses.

Altares de Muertos are for Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, a tradition on Nov. 1 and 2, originating in central Mexico. The altar is a way to honor deceased loved ones with a space devoted to display ofrendas (offerings), which are an essential part of the celebration. The ofrendas include the four elements: water, wind, earth and fire. Water is left in a pitcher to be provided during their journey. Wind is represented by the papel picado. Earth is represented by food, especially bread or any other food item that the deceased enjoyed while alive. Candles or veladoras, representing fire, are often left in the form of a cross to represent the cardinal directions, so the spirits can find their way. Photos of deceased people are displayed on the altar. Other items displayed are cempasuchil or Mexican marigold flowers whose vibrant color is said to represent the sun; butterflies which are said to hold the spirit of the departed; and sugar skulls or calaveritas which represent a whimsical reminder of the cyclicality of life, given their bright colors.