The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Fourth-graders in Clay Warburton's class had an opportunity to celebrate a unique tradition last week. Warburton and his students learned about Dia de los Meurtos, or Day of the Dead, where they learned about Mexican traditions and even had a chance to celebrate a bit on their own.

Each student was challenged to do a report on a loved one who has passed and bring a picture in to help celebrate their life.

"We wrote a biography of a person who has passed away and got to share with our friends," said student Kayla Cashwell. "We can show them pictures of people we have lost."

The Day of the Dead traditional celebration is a long-standing Mexican tradition. The celebration begins on All Hallow's Eve (Halloween) every year, followed by All Saint's Day on November 1 (die de los innocents) followed by The Day of the Dead on November 2, or All Soul's Day.

"The days of the dead are truly a celebration of life," according to the University of New Mexico. "(A day) when children dance with caricatures of death, eat skull sugar molds and learn to respect that life is brief. They learn there is a circle to life and not to fear death, and then are free to appreciate every moment."

On Wednesday, November 2, students brought in pictures of loved ones who had passed, shared stories and celebrated Dia de los Muertos right here in Sisters.

Along with the sharing of their stories, Suriana Iverson, the Sisters School District community liaison, brought in pan de muerto (Day of the Dead bread) and pan dulce or sweet bread which is a round bread with a skeleton or bone-shaped design on the top for the students to try.

Warburton told the story of his father, Craig Warburton, who has passed. He shared stories and memories of him to give each of the students an idea of how to share their own biographies.

"One of the main goals of the project is for the students to connect to their family history," said Warburton. "It's also a way for us to acknowledge other cultures from around the world."

Students formed small groups of three or four and shared stories of their own loved ones.

Cashwell remembered her great-grandfather Ed Crabtree. Ed was born in Missouri and moved to Bend when he was 16. He was fun-loving and kind, and liked eating raw onions.

Haley Lorenzana shared memories of her great-grandmother Vonda Armstead who lived in Colorado.

"She was in charge of the kitchen and entertaining," said Lorenzana. "And a few fun facts: she was a gourmet chef, loved art, the museum, and wanted to be an interior designer."

Students shared their biographies and memories several times throughout the afternoon.

"I loved learning about my ancestor because she was super cool," Lorenzana said.