Under the warm candlelight, on a slowly darkening evening, community members populated the Fullerton College quad with singing and laughter. Vibrant ofrendas, altars decorated with marigolds and photographs of loved ones, were placed on tables and all were welcomed to pay tribute to ancestors who helped shape the lives of those still here.
The Dia de los Muertos celebration, held yearly, welcomed everyone to the festivities.
The Cadena Cultural Center hosted its 30th annual celebration on Wednesday. The event is a beloved cultural anchor for the college’s Latinx community.
Attendees ate free tacos while watching live performances by local dance groups. The event had guides who explained the symbolism of the items placed on the ofrendas. Vendors sold handcrafted textiles and sugar skulls, while the scent of copal, an incense, drifted through the quad.
According to Fullerton College President Cynthia Olivo, the event serves as a living expression of cultural pride and unity.
“What I love is that we get to share our customs and our Latino community with the campus overall,” said Olivo. “Personally, what it means to me is that I can share who I am as a human being, as a person in this world who loves my culture.”
People unfamiliar with the holiday were encouraged to learn about it through the traditional folklorico dancing, where dancers wore flowy and vibrant outfits and live Norteño and Mariachi music played.
Guests learned Día de los Muertos symbolism from the papel picado, shredded colorful paper, which represented the fragility of life to the cempasúchil, the marigold, which is used on the altars and said to guide spirits back home.
The cosmetology students offered face paintings of colorful calaveras and flowers and the Art Department handmade woodblocks and showed guests how to print with them.
The event was started by the Ethnic Studies Department three decades ago by retired Fullerton College professors, Gerald Padilla and Adela Lopez. Every year, Padilla returns to witness the legacy and growth they helped begin.
“Just seeing the joy and the love and the commitment to culture and family that is brought here by the people,” Padilla said.
According to Program Assistant Isabel Marin, the number of student clubs and departments participating in the event continues to increase, reflecting the unity behind the tradition. She said helping organize the night had a personal meaning.
“As someone who is Mexican, for me it means a lot to see that in academic spaces we also take into consideration our cultural identities,” said Marin.