The members of the Manhasset High School Spanish Honor Society created an altar and offerings honoring the life and legacy of Jane Goodall as part of their annual celebration of el Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). Celebrated on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 in Mexico, Guatemala and other Latin American countries, el Día de los Muertos is a time for families to honor loved ones who have died.
Traditional ofrendas, or offerings, often include photographs, pan de muerto (bread of the dead), favorite foods, flowers, candles and other symbolic items meant to welcome the spirits of the departed.
Each year, the Spanish Honor Society selects a well-known figure who has recently passed away to honor through their display under the guidance of adviser Jacqueline Wiley. This year members chose Jane Goodall, who died Oct. 1.
Goodall was a world-renowned ethologist, conservationist and humanitarian who dedicated more than six decades to studying and protecting wild chimpanzees in Tanzania. Through this display, students celebrated Goodall’s contributions to science and humanity while promoting awareness and appreciation for the cultural traditions of el Día de los Muertos.
