The beginning of Halloween not only brings out the costume themed parties and the cute kids dressed in adorable costumes, it also brings out the Day of the Dead festivities.
It is believed that the veil between the land of the living and the afterlife is the weakest, beginning the night of Halloween. The deceased are then able to visit with their families for 24 hours.
Let me start off by saying that El Día de los Muertos is not the Mexican version of Halloween. This two day holiday celebrates the lives of the deceased with fiestas and offerings to those who have made the long journey from the afterlife to Earth.
“Many Latin American families’ altars are done so privately and intimately, but you sit around and eat food and share stories about the people on the altar. It’s a way for people to keep their memories alive,” said Ricky Salazar, program coordinator at The Center on the university’s campus.
These practices originated thousands of years ago from the Aztecs, who considered mourning the dead to be disrespectful. Instead, they celebrate life and the lives of those who have passed.
“We do it in such a festive way that it becomes happy, even when it’s sad. It’s an attempt to honor their memories and share their stories,” said Salazar. They commemorate the dead with altars, or ofrendas in Spanish. They decorate the altars to welcome back the dead to the land of the living. Each are personalized by their own family, but most will contain some sort of food or drink to give to the travelers as a reward for the long journey.
The Center for Cultural Diversity hosted their own event on Wednesday October 25th for groups of students to make their own altar. The groups were provided tools and supplies needed such as paper, candles, sugar skulls, flowers, plastic tablecloths, and banners.
The altars will be up from October 25th to November 1st. On the 1st of November, they held a reception where they crowned the best altar.
First place winner was Lambda Theta Pi, a latino fraternity on campus.
“For me, it’s the notion of connecting student to their roots. Most students know but don’t understand El Día de los Muertos. My job is to help them explore and learn their identity through events like this,” Salazar concluded.
Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation is a local charity organization that helps diagnosed children and their families with finances, support, and hope. They host events all over the city to raise awareness and money. Some of the important events are the yearly NNCCF Benefit Horse Show at Meadowview Equestrian Center and the Tournament of Hope.
From one staff member, they have expanded to eight with the help from full time volunteers. With many family activities, as well as the Inspire Scholarship for survivors, they have changed so many lives. Now NNCCF even goes on a yearly trip to Washington D.C. and takes families to advocate on a national level with representatives for children’s cancer research.
One of the newest donut shops in Reno is so sweet, it makes visitors feel like they’re on a sugar rush. As if the Discovery Museum located in downtown Reno wasn’t already fun enough, the addition of Holey Schmidt Donuts this past February makes for a great attraction. Owners Galen and Cadi Schmidt offer a wide variety of flavors, ranging from the basic chocolate sprinkle to the ultimate throwback for 90’s kids: the cosmic brownie. This hip, youthful shop located in Midtown is visited by children and adults alike. With art on the walls proclaiming to “Keep Reno Sweet,” it helps the shop connect with prideful Nevadans and those looking for a cheat day indulgence.
In the depths of downtown in the Riverwalk District, there stands a quaint little coffee house that goes by Java Jungle, or more recently named “The Jungle.” The Jungle is a very trendy and open environment that allows anybody to come and sip coffee while enjoying the presence of the nearby river and downtown altogether.
The Jungle offers wine tastings paired with live music and gourmet food for a better coffee shop experience. The Barroon is a new addition to The Jungle which has the goal of capturing presence in an intimate setting. The Barroon holds the wine tastings and other special events like open mic night every Monday. Next time you are thinking of hitting downtown and going to your normal bars, try The Jungle for a different, more enriching kind of night.