ELLIE SKJERSAA / ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

San Diego may not have the fall leaves and the chilly breeze that characterize an October day, but nevertheless, the nights still get longer and the festivities still ensue. With celebrations such as Diwali, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Halloween all taking place within the same week, communities across San Diego and the USD campus prepared for these days of revelry. This year, a special crossover is taking place with Diwali, which begins on the same day as Halloween making for a cultural blend of very distinct traditions.

Altar exhibited in SLP honors lost and forgotten lives in Mexico and Palestine. Shannen Swars/USD Vista

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is a Hindu festival that is largely celebrated in India, but can be found all around the world. Many other faiths, such as Buddhism and Sikhism, observe this holiday, making it one of the most important annual celebrations in India. The five-day festival acknowledges the victory of light over darkness, or in other words, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. For USD senior Priyal Gupta, it is important to her to understand Diwali and her culture so she is able to pass these traditions down to her future family members.

The Diwali celebration in the Warren Hall on Oct. 28. Shannen Swars/USD Vista

“I think as information is passed from generation to generation, a lot of things get lost, especially not having as many connections with older-generation Indians because I moved here,” Gupta said. “It’s important for me to get as much information as possible so I can teach my kids this and they can have some information on what life in India is like, what the religion is like and how their grandparents lived.”

Rituals such as fireworks, feasts, prayers, story-telling and dance all take place over these five days, cultivating a time of love, community and a celebration of cultural identity. Different traditions and rituals take place in different communities but, ultimately, the story remains the same. With vibrant colors and beloved traditions, students like Gupta are looking forward to this year’s USD Diwali celebrations.

Students painting Diyas— oil-filled lamps— at the USD Warren Diwali Celebration. Shannen Swars/USD Vista

“I’m really looking forward to it,”  Gupta said. “I’m from Seattle and I feel like there’s a lot  of  Indian people. But [in San Diego], I don’t really get the opportunity to meet with people of my culture and celebrate it together. Being away from home at USD, it feels kind of isolating in a way. We’re in this bubble  where we can’t celebrate as much so this event is really great. Now we have somewhere to celebrate and people to celebrate with because before we would just celebrate with our families and now we don’t really have that.”

Like Diwali, Dia de los Muertos is an annual celebration that brings communities together. This Mexican holiday takes place on the days of Nov. 1-2 but can stretch out over more days, depending on location. This celebration has roots in Meso-American cultures dating back to more than 3,000 years ago. Today, it is largely celebrated in Latino communities. It is believed that death is a path to a new life and that on Dia de los Muertos, ancestors return to visit their living relatives. Briana Torres, second-year graduate student and president of SOLES Graduate Association, shared some insight into the celebration.

“[It’s important to] remind yourself that family’s not here forever,” Torres said. “It’s a way to spend time with those that are here and to recognize that those who aren’t here anymore are always a part of our lives and to try to stay positive. It can get hard throughout the year, but having that one day to remember them goes a long way.”

Families welcome back late ancestors in a celebration that involves food, drink, song and stories. This reunion often takes place at family graves, which are decorated, and involves the creation of ofrendas — also known as an altar or an offering — which honors family members who have passed. The ofrendas feature photographs and personal items from their lives. Torres shared how she incorporates this into her life at university.

“I’m not currently near any of my family’s graves, so the best thing I can do is to create my own ofrenda and just try to do it in my own way,” Torres said. “I’m able to do it in my own cute little Gen Z way  where I’m honoring those who were a part of my life in the past. You never know how they’re going to turn out every year. It depends on the person, it depends on the representation —  what do you want to show, who do you want to show? For me, getting to see the design every year is nice to see.”

Here at USD, there are many ofrendas around campus that have been created by student organizations and different departments. The Honors Program, The Association of Chicanx Activists, The USD MEChA chapter, the SOLES and Latinx Graduate Student Associations and the Wellness Center are some that will host ofrendas during the week  of   Oct. 28 – Nov. 4. All students are welcome to contribute to the ofrendas.

Similar to Dia de los Muertos, Halloween’s original traditions involved creating altars to honor the spirits of their ancestors. Although today this holiday values fun costumes, eating sweets and enjoying time with friends and family, this was not always the case.

Halloween was derived from pagan Celtic traditions of Samhain and has now transformed into a celebration of the supernatural, whether that be ghosts, witches or otherworldly creatures. Samhain recognized the end of summer harvest and the start of winter. When the Celtics converted to Christianity, the first day of November was declared “All Saints Day,” which eventually transformed into Halloween. When Europeans immigrated to America, they brought these traditions with them, making Halloween a popular celebration. Traditions of trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, costume parties and haunted houses are all part of spooky Halloween night. Students share why this tradition is important to them.

USD offered $10 tickets to Balboa Park Haunted Trails for students. Photo courtesy of @hauntedtrailbp/Instagram

“It is an opportunity to  express myself,” USD senior Grace Elian said. “Playing with makeup and being creative every year is my favorite part about [Halloween]. I think it’s [also] one of the most social holiday’s that we have because we go to our neighbors and say, ‘Hey what’s up’ and we don’t usually do that for [other holidays].”

However, she explained that dressing up is not something USD students partake in during school hours. 

“On campus, you don’t really see [people dressing up] as much, and I would like that,” Elian said. “Maybe if there was a giveaway or a time during dead hours where students could show off their costumes, that could be a reminder of childhood memories.

USD hosts events for all students whether they celebrate Diwali, Dia de los Muertos or Halloween. All of these festivities, although distinct in their rituals and deeply embedded with cultural differences, have some similarities. They ultimately have a common goal of uniting communities to celebrate and share identities with peers and friends. 

Ofrenda outside the CHWP office honoring lives lost to domestic violence. Ellie Skjersaa/USD Vista