All photos by Alisha Martindale
Across Greater New Haven, annual Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations took on many forms this last Friday, November 6, as local organizations and communities came together not only to honor the memories of friends and family who have passed, but also to remember those whose lives were cut short by violence and injustice.
Together, these celebrations created space for collective grief, cultural expression, and social awareness, demonstrating how traditions of remembrance can also give voice to the issues affecting communities today.
The Spanish Community of Wallingford (SCOW) is a non-profit organization founded in 1972 to help newcomers and local families find language translation, employment, and medical assistance. SCOW offers social services, emergency assistance, educational and youth programs, and cultural and arts programs. Its core mission is to help the Latino community to thrive in the Town of Wallingford while preserving and sharing its cultural heritage.
SCOW is also the home of the SCOW School of Music and Dance, which focuses on preserving and celebrating Mexican cultural heritage, including mariachi and traditional Mexican folklórico dance programs. The organization held its 10th Annual Dia De Los Muertos celebration at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History.
When asked about the beautiful paper statues in the building, Program Director Maria Guadalupe Avila explained they were created by artist Janett Cerna, and are inspired by the Mexican state of Michoacán, where many SCOW members come from: “You'll see a lot of the monarch butterflies that migrate back to Michoacán, and you'll see the dances, particularly the dresses, are referenced back to the state of Michoacán.” Avila says the Community helps members reconnect to their roots, so that “they never forget where they come from.”
Multiple paper statues, created by artist Janett Cerna, were on display during the celebration, drawing on imagery from Mexican folklore—such as the mythical creatures known as “alebrijes,” or the “Árbol de la Vida” (Tree of Life).
When asked what inspired the SCSU Interfaith Office to create a Día de Muertos ofrenda, Sergio Perez, the school’s Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, said that “as Southern continues to embrace its identity as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, it felt like an important opportunity to bring several of our communities together.”
Perez says that the ofrenda offers something for everyone—not least of all the opportunity to think about what connects us. “You may have encountered the ffrenda and may not know anyone on it, but it can still trigger a memory of someone special in your life. I think that is a beautiful lesson: that as different as we are, there are things like grieving, remembering, and reflection that actually bring us together.”
The ofrenda included animals, candles, skulls, and flowers, as well as religious symbols like Our Lady of Guadalupe, whom Perez noted Southern’s Catholic community sees as “the Empress of the Americas,” due to “how her apparition is the birth of a new world that is mixed of European and Indigenous identities.” It also included St. Martin de Porres, “the patron saint of Social Justice and racial equality,” whose presence Perez says highlights “Southern’s mission as a social justice university.”
The SCSU ofrenda displayed many friends, family, loved ones, and past campus employees—including Michael Shea, a beloved English professor who recently passed away in a tragic accident.
When asked why ULA organizes a general Dia De Muertos event every year, Lugo stated that “the community started growing back in the 1990s—so when we came here, we were exposed to the St. Patrick's Parade, the Puerto Rican Parade, and we were always thinking how we contribute as new migrants moving in the city, how we can contribute to the art scene of the city. And that's how we figured out maybe the Day of the Dead would be a good way to give something different to the city.”
Artist Pedro López, one of two artists invited by Unidad Latina en Acción to help create the puppets and develop the theme of the event, said that every year “there is a special theme representing a different social and cultural issue.” ULA usually does a traditional Day of the Dead parade, but this year, they instead threw a party at Bregamos Theater. The event featured beautiful decor, a community market of art and jewelry made by local artisans, traditional foods, arts and crafts, face painting—and most importantly, visual displays honoring the 50+ people who have died at the hands of ICE.
López explained how the displays, combining new and older puppets from previous parades and events, each carried its own symbolism. The corn skeleton, for example, symbolizes the cycle of life and death, representing how “when [people] pass, they go into the earth and then become something new.”
Maribel, one of the attendees, brought her daughter, Camila: “I'm Mexican, and it's part of my culture—I want to pass it down to my daughter. I want her to know that doing this is not just about remembering loved ones who passed away; it's honoring death, because one day it's gonna come and knock on our door.”
“Despite how many women and children we continue to lose to gender violence, we don't see enough response from the state, from local officials and authorities,” said VLA’s Founding Director, Vanesa Suarez. “At the end of the day, we know that domestic violence is preventable. We are following in the footsteps of feminist Mexican women who have taken Día de Muertos to specifically call attention to the increase in femicides.”
Nika Zara, who organized the event alongside VLA’s Communications Lead, added: “We’ve been doing this event for six years, and unfortunately every year we meet new families who have lost loved ones to femicide. We feel it’s important to uplift their stories, their call for justice, and their loved one’s memory.”
The joy and energy of the room became incredibly palpable when Movimiento Cultural started to bang out the rhythmic beats of traditional Afro–Puerto Rican Bomba music.
The event included ofrendas, face painting, and musical performances. One of the event volunteers, Yasmeine Georgina, said she got involved with VLA after a close friend lost her life to domestic violence. “It helps with the feelings of loss and senselessness, and helps me feel grounded,” said Georgina.
“From the beautiful altar de muertos to the picture printing station and amazing performances, every activity felt intentional,” said one of the attendees, Betty Duran. “My favorite part was seeing how the event created a space for everyone to grieve and celebrate together, while also bringing awareness to gender-based violence in Connecticut.”
Dani Ramirez (they/them), of El Rincon de Papel, offered free on-the-spot photo printing of loved ones to all guests as a way for everyone to leave a memory at the ornate ofrenda, as well as a zine-making station and library: “Independent publishing has always been a source of distributing knowledge and a form of organizing,” they noted.