The fall season is marked by many things: colorful leaves, a chill in the air, warm Starbucks drinks, and much more. But fall also coincides with the holiday season; in cultures worldwide, these next few months contain numerous celebrations of all sorts of religious and social events. While these traditions may all be different and honored uniquely, they are all tied together by the same love for community.
One key holiday this month is the Hindu celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights. In Hindu mythology, Diwali marks the triumph of light over darkness as Lord Rama returns from exile after 14 years. The story says that Rama was on a mission to rescue his wife, Sita, and ultimately prevailed and reunited with her. Rama and Sita’s return to the city of Ayodhya was a joyous occasion and is now celebrated annually as the victory of good over evil. Families typically light candles known as diyas and celebrate with large parties full of food, family, and lots of fireworks. Mouli Chopra (’24) describes her family’s Diwali traditions: “Every year my family and I meet with over 15 other Indian families to celebrate Diwali together. It’s the same place with the same people, so I really enjoy watching people grow up and their reactions to watching me grow up, especially because we don’t see each other regularly throughout the year.”
In early November, Latinx communities celebrate Dia de los Muertos, which traces its origins back to ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, particularly the Aztecs. While initially an indigenous holiday, Spanish colonization has led to it incorporating Catholic elements. This fusion of cultures created the traditions of honoring departed loved ones with beautifully decorated ofrendas (altars), sugar skulls, and visits to the cemetery. The graveyards across all of Mexico are decorated with flickering candles and an orange and yellow marigold called flor de cempasúchil, which is said to help guide souls back with its scent.
Caterina Alzati-Saldana (’25) tells of her own experiences with Dia de los Muertos: “Though I was raised in a Mexican household, we never celebrated Day of the Dead. It did not mean that I knew nothing about it. In fact I was, and still am, fascinated with the story of this holiday. Before I even attended school, I always knew about the holiday but never really knew the meaning. It’s not that my parents didn’t teach me—it simply wasn’t part of their life. So subsequently, I wasn’t raised with the holiday embedded into my childhood. In primary school, we’d learn the gist of it, watching Coco and Book of Life as a treat. But that wasn’t enough for me. As much as I loved the music in the movies, I wanted to really know, so that’s when I began to check books out of the library for myself.” Dia de los Muertos is a testament to the resilience of cultural practices and amicable co-existence of pre-Columbian beliefs. This gorgeous holiday is a celebration that embraces both the spiritual and earthly realms.
On the Saint Francis campus, LHSU, the Latinx Hispanic Student Union, celebrated Day of the Dead by having a showcase of baile folklórico, cumbia, and offering drinks like horchata and jamaica. The LHSU board members worked diligently, planning the festivities, curating the music list, ordering the special treats, and designing the flyers. Additionally, at the beginning of November, LHSU members and a few parents were invited to build the ofrenda in the chapel. Students were encouraged to bring photos of passed loved ones to place on the altar. Flor de cempasúchil, rebozos (tablecloth), papel picado (perforated paper), incense, and some personal items were also brought to decorate the elevated altar. No matter where, Dia de Los Muertos is not a somber, gloomy holiday, but a colorful reminder of why life should be celebrated.
Another cornerstone event of the holiday season is, of course, the red and green wonder that is Christmas. However, in some households, Christmas is treated more seriously than anywhere else. In many places, Christmas festivities coincide with those of Nochebuena (“good night” in Spanish), which refers to the traditional Christmas Eve celebrated by Latinx, Spanish, and Filipino families across the globe. Nochebuena is also the name of a Christmas plant, the poinsettia. The flor de Nochebuena, native to Mexico, was named for the bright red shade it turns around Christmastime.
Nochebuena focuses on the night before Christmas Day. On the 24th of December, the formalities of the night include attending a Mass before dinner. In some cases, the more traditional Mass is called la Missa del Gallo, or midnight Mass. Whether Mass is attended or not, families and friends always gather to eat, drink, and exchange gifts. These celebrations often go well past the night into the morning; meanwhile, Christmas day itself is a relaxed day.
Caterina Alzati-Saldana (’25) recounts her Nochebuena experience as a young girl: “For as long as I can remember, my parents always dressed me in red, green, and white plaid dress, with white stockings and black Mary Jane shoes. We always had a formal dinner with my grandparents, and sometimes extended family. We would feast on various foods, but the one I remember the most was barbacoa made by my grandpa. We sometimes would attend Mass and would watch the re-enactment of the nativity scene. Then we would go back home and exchange gifts. It was always my favorite holiday, knowing I would be able to visit Mexico and see the place where my family is from. Since before Coronavirus, I haven’t returned to Mexico City, so it’s been a while since having a proper Nochebuena. I only hope to be able to visit Mexico again and celebrate like I once did.” Nochebuena is a particularly special holiday, filled with lots of love and memories to be remembered forever.
The holiday season is chock-full of incredible cultural experiences around the world. From festivals of light to ofrendas of passed loved ones, communities worldwide are experiencing love and joy together in their respective traditions. And all those traditions meet right here on the Saint Francis campus.
