BUFFALO, N.Y. — November 1 and 2 is the celebration of Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead. It's a Mexican tradition in which families remember and celebrate loved ones they've lost.
This day isn't a day of grieving. It's a celebration of life. Families and friends remember their loved ones with ofrendas, which is an altar or picture display.
You fill your ofrendas with things that your loved ones enjoyed like flowers or their favorite foods and drinks. These colorful items are displayed in homes or other spaces where people gather together, singing songs and telling stories of what it was like when those loved ones were around.
Students in the Latin Medical Student Association at the University at Buffalo have an altar on display. Sara Nieto is the public relations chair for this organization. She is Mexican-American and is proud of her heritage.
"Everybody is welcome to celebrate. You don't have to be from Mexican descent. You don't have to be Latin of any sort. You don't have to come from any kind of background or religion. It's just a beautiful way to reconnect with loved ones. It's a beautiful way to remember them. And every year, this goes up every year. Every year, November 1st and 2nd. So, it's a good way to keep their memory alive," says Nieto.
One of the main topics that the students talk about in their studies in medical school is cultural competency.
"Learning the different backgrounds, different cultures, who we are going to be taking care of in the future. I think this is part of that culture competency. This teaches peers on how different cultures deal with death differently or grieve differently," says Nieto.
The UB Latino Medical Student Association members will have their ofrenda on display for the rest of the week.