It is believed that the Aztecs worshipped a goddess of death that they alleged protected their departed loved ones, helping them into the next stages, La Catrina.

The ofrenda is often the most recognized symbol of Día de Los Muertos. This temporary altar is a way for families to honor their loved ones and provide them with what they need on their journey. This donation will help pay for an altar as the centerpiece of our event.

Calaveras is an important symbol in the Dia De Los Muertos festival and is traditionally made from sugar. The Calaveras de azucar are part of the ofrenda, and symbolize the “earth” element along with other foods like mole or pan de Muerto. This donation will help pay for food to offer at our event!

Monarch butterflies play a role in Día de Los Muertos because they are believed to hold the spirits of the departed. This belief stems from the fact that the first monarchs arrive in Mexico for the winter each fall on Nov. 1, which coincides with Día de Los Muertos.

Día de Los Muertos is not traditionally celebrated as a somber occasion, rather it is a celebration of art, music, and culture that remind us of the things that make us alive. Your donation has brought us much closer to sharing this with our community!

This event is extremely important for us to extend our community to the broader UT student campus, and a donation of this size would already get us halfway there! We are extremely excited to see all of your support and we invite you to join us at our festival so that we can celebrate you and your generosity :)

UNESCO declared the indigenous festivity to the dead as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.