Schreiner University to host community Día de los Muertos celebration

Schreiner University will host a community-wide Día de los Muertos celebration Saturday evening, offering food, music and a chance to honor deceased loved ones in the Mexican tradition of joyful remembrance.

The event, organized by OLÉ (Organization for Latin Engagement), one of the university’s largest student organizations, runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Trailhead Beer Garden.

Regina Gordon, coordinator for Schreiner’s Changing Global Society initiative, said the celebration is open to the public and encourages community members to participate in the cultural tradition.

“It is a community event and we encourage the public to join us,” Gordon said during an appearance on The Lead Live on Wednesday.

Sua Fleming, a second-year education major from Sinaloa, Mexico, explained that Día de los Muertos differs from typical mourning practices by celebrating ancestors with joy rather than sadness.

“In Mexico, the holiday is not a sad thing; rather, it is celebrated as something joyful,” Fleming said. “The goal is to celebrate ancestors and allow people to feel their presence.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring photographs of deceased loved ones to place on an ofrenda, or altar, created by Tish Miller. The evening will feature food trucks including Shims Be Blessed and Vasinos, along with live music from Groupupo Tantan, a San Antonio-based band that plays various Latin music styles, and the Schreiner Mariachi band.

Sara Archila, a second-year music major from Bogotá, Colombia, said she will likely perform with the mariachi band. Archila, who is in the voice division of the music program, noted that the Mexican tradition contrasts with Colombian customs around death.

“In Colombia, death is generally viewed as sad, making the Mexican tradition of a joyful celebration of life and memory completely different, though I like it,” Archila said.

She shared that Colombia has its own tradition called las velitas, where people light candles on Dec. 6 to make wishes for the coming year.

The Día de los Muertos celebration traditionally takes place Nov. 1-2, coinciding with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, when Mexican families believe the spirits of deceased loved ones return to visit.