While much of Gainesville went door-to-door collecting candy for Halloween on Monday night, a group of UF students and residents celebrated Dia de los Muertos instead.
Nueva Alianza, a Hispanic religious organization at UF within Catholic Gators, organized the celebration of the Mexican holiday, which started on . It drew about 60 people to honor their passed-away loved ones.
Authentic Mexican food, music and candy-skull face painting greeted the crowd at St. Augustine Church near Midtown.
In the middle of the celebration, a three-tiered altar — representing heaven, earth and purgatory — was decorated with flowers, incense, food and photos of loved ones.
“We believe that our deceased loved ones will come and be in this festivity,” said Sister Ana Galvan, a Catholic Gators’ campus ministry assistant. “That’s why we put food on the altar to invite them.”
She placed a picture of her grandfather on the altar to remember him on the holiday.
Although she is not Mexican, 23-year-old Rebeca Siguenza said she would honor her late grandmother Monday and today.
“She loved events like this, so I want to remember her and celebrate her life,” she said.
Members of the Nueva Alianza painted sugar skulls on people’s faces, designs traditionally used to decorate grave stones.
Michelle Ordax, Nueva Alianza’s historian, said the makeup shows the unification between all people, because below the surface, everyone is a skeleton.
“It brings unity,” the 19-year-old said. “It doesn’t discriminate. Everyone is the same, and there is no hierarchy, which is beautiful and amazing. We are all a family. We are all the same — from dust to ashes.”
