Altar reflection on El Centro's virtual event of Día de Los Muertos

 The virtual celebration of Día de Los Muertos hosted by El Centro was a lovely and educational experience. I also want to commend them on taking the time to show the importance of times we are living in. I really appreciated it that they took the time to inform the community how much we, as a Latinx community, have been affected by the virus this year. It is important to not just read about it in the news but also hear leaders from our community be vocal about it. Additionally, what a great platform to continue to inform the viewers on voting procedures, I hope this motivates more people to get out and make their voice heard. The altar that I want to talk about is the one created by the poet Claudia Luna Castro and her family. Aside from the beautiful and traditional elements depicted, there was comments she made about the process that caught my attention. Castro mentions that although altar making is a traditional practice, “every year it looks a little different [19:35].” It reminds me how powerful art can be to express and be a constant reflection of the current times. I also love that even though the theme might differ every year, Castro’s altar has some elements that are always present, which make it very personal. She mentions how there are components to her family’s altar that are family-made, she specifically mentions things handmade by her children that were incorporated into the altar since they were young and continue to be part of it even though they are now adults. There is a lovely message of connection and consistency in imagining how her altar changes with the times but is also rooted in her family’s history and roots. There was one last noticeable moment in her altar presentation for me and that occurred when she began to read a poem she wrote for her grandma. The upside of having a virtual platform allowed for us to see both the altar and her, while hearing her poem layered on top of the beautiful ofrenda her family had created. It allowed me to imagine future in-person altares having an audio component to them as well.