'Death doesn't need to be feared. It can be joyful': Day of the Dead celebrates loved ones in death
CBS 58 MILWAUKEE (CBS58) -- While many of us celebrate Halloween, others are just starting another Fall celebration: Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The holiday started in Mexico thousands of years ago to honor our loved ones who are no longer with us.
On November 1 and 2, many Latin Americans believe that spirits of your loved ones come back to earth, brought back through the things they loved in life, left on ofrendas (altars).
A staple often seen on ofrendas is bread of the dead, or pan de muertos. It's a round piece of bread with additional bread detailing on top, appearing as bones or teardrops. Roberto Villafuentes, owner and baker at La Nueva Bakery on Milwaukee's south side said he anticipates making around 2,500 this fall.
Whether covered in colorful sugar or in sesame seeds, once the finishing touches are done and the bread is baked, they're ready to be placed on ofrendas. "It makes me happy to see people come and buy our pan de muerto. It’s a dream come true, actually," shared Villafuentes.
As day of the dead recently popularized in the United States, it was a chance for people like Robert Sanchez Jr. to get to know his ancestors. He's a local artist who learned his ancestors also had a creative side, "my father on my mother's side, he was a musician and I just found that out recently" he shared.
"To me it’s a spiritual connection. I always feel they’re with me. I feel like they’re cheering me on, excited about the things that I do," said Sanchez Jr.
Maggie Kuhn was setting up her sixth altar at Latino Arts, in memory of her son Michael Jacobus: "I have a wonderful son named Michael who died in a car crash in 2020 at age 23 but he lived a beautiful and full, creative and adventurous life in those 23 years. And this is part of how Michael's legacy and memory and soul lives on, is by me putting through this altar and then others coming to see it."
On the altar are sour patch kids, chips, a hoodie, hat, and other mementos from Michael's life.
Kuhn is piecing together memories as she puts the altar together, saying creating it and going through things from a loved ones "thinking about who they are and holding their things is so healing."
By collecting items, it's bringing Michael and his memory back, if only for two nights. "Losing a child is shattering and i needed to find ways to bring myself out of this isolating dark grief," she said.
As Kuhn puts together the altar she said "initially it’s always a little difficult. I feel some resistance each year to doing this, because i'm delving a little bit deeper into my grief." However, she finds it important to remember him, and share what he was like. She thinks about the school children that will visit on field trips, learning about Day of the Dead, and her son. " I think he would get a big kick out of kids seeing his stuff and getting to know him. I want them to relate to him... he wasn't much older than they are." She went on to say that he was artistic, well traveled, and loved the outdoors.
This year, Kuhn is adding memories of her recently departed father, Michael Kuhn. He passed away in January of this year. "He lived a long life. Very long life. Also full, also full of adventure," she said. He was an OBGYN in Milwaukee, aiding in the births of over 10,000 babies. So, she is putting his doctor's coat on the altar, as it was a large part of his life and legacy. She said he also loved reading and listening to classical music, so those pieces of his personality will also be reflected. "I saw my mom really lighting up thinking about others, remembering my dad in this way," she said.
Making an ofrenda does more than just bring back spirits, it helps brings closure, shared Kuhn. "In our society, death and grief are very hidden. They’re almost shameful or they’re things people feel they need to get over, be strong. What i love about this tradition is how out loud it is about death. And that death doesn't need to be feared. It can be joyful."
The Day of the Dead ofrendas are in the exhibit until Nov. 14. For more information, click here.
