BILLINGS — Colorful altars filled with photographs, favorite foods, and personal keepsakes at North Park on Sunday as Billings students invited the community to celebrate Día de los Muertos and learn about the traditions behind the Mexican holiday.
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Members of Raza Unida, a Hispanic cultural club through Billings Public Schools, hosted their third annual Día de los Muertos celebration, bringing families and community members together to honor loved ones who have died while sharing one of Mexico's most meaningful cultural traditions.
At the center of the celebration were ofrendas, or altars, created to welcome the spirits of loved ones back to the world of the living. For West High School junior and Raza Unida President Ysabelle Ruiz, the altars are a way to remember family members, friends, and even pets.
"A lot of people believe that there's a land of the dead and a land of the living, and the spirits of the dead take this really long journey to the living," Ruiz said.
Families decorate ofrendas with photographs, candles, flowers, favorite foods, and other personal belongings. Each item has meaning and reflects the personality and memories of the person ...