WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Vt. Celebrates Day of the Dead

Vt. Celebrates Day of the Dead

Colchester, Vermont - November 2, 2009

Colchester and St. Michael's College are far from home for Marta Umanzor. She says, "I feel wonderful because I decorated the altar for people I really care about!"

The El Salvador native is a longtime Spanish professor at St. Mike's, and for twelve years has organized a public Day of the Dead celebration on campus. "We celebrate the life of people," explains Umanzor.

The holiday is an important tradition in Mexico and other Latin American countries, where families set up shrines to honor dead relatives. They give them small gifts they enjoyed in life.

But don't be fooled by all the skeletons used in decorations: "It's not anything scary," explains sophomore Ari Smith. "It's nothing having to do with Halloween."

Day of the Dead customs often have people dressing up as skeletons or decorating with skeletons, believing doing so may encourage the souls to visit the living and see how much they're appreciated.

The St. Mike's students will write about the holiday for their Spanish class. Senior Erin Jones says, "I think it's really important to have a day to remember the good things about people who've passed away and not just the sadness that they're not here any more."

With the rise in hispanic populations in the United States, more Day of the Dead observances have popped up. Marta Umanzor is glad to see the holiday take root even in a small way in her adopted home. "It's very important for me to share my culture with them," she says.

The students continue their Day of the Dead celebration throughout the week, with traditional foods, and even a Catholic mass in Spanish.

Jack Thurston - WCAX News