Redlands Sister Cities Association Celebrates Day of the Dead

Community members gathered in the Casa Loma building at the University of Redlands to partake in Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead - festivities. On Saturday, Nov. 2, the traditional Dia de los Muertos date, the Redlands Sister Cities Association (RSCA) held their second annual Dia de los Muertos festival, which featured live entertainment as well as arts and crafts activities. Claudia Martinez of the First Generation Student Program at the University of Redlands explained the significance of the holiday. Martinez explained that Dia de los Muertos is a traditional Latin American holiday where family and friends honor the deceased. “It's very different from Halloween,” said Martinez. “We display an altar for our loved ones and celebrate their life.” Martinez explained that the holiday is intended to be a celebration rather than a period of mourning. Throughout the festival the Redlands Sister Cities Association provided various activities for attendees such as decorating sugar skulls and planting marigolds. According to the University of Redlands Mecha group, sugar skulls are decorative crafts typically displayed during Dia de los Muertos, and marigolds are the traditional flowers used to honor the dead. The St. Mary’s Ballet Folklorico of Redlands was in attendance providing traditional folk dances from Mexico. Throughout the day St. Mary’s Ballet performed various folk dances from different regions of Mexico such as Chiapas and Colima. Sister Cities president Roy Cencirulo discussed the importance of observing Dia de los Muertos. “Doing things like this helps the community know about the different celebrations that different cultures have and helps expand everybody’s awareness,” said Cencirulo. Furthermore, Cencirulo stated he hopes this festival allows attendees to understand differences between cultures. Cencirulo explained that the main objective of the RSCA is to continue to expand goodwill and friendship with other cultures around the world.