SALT LAKE CITY — “There is no such thing as death. When you come back it’s a life cycle. It is not an individual experience. Death is a social experience.”

That’s how Armando Solórzano, a distinguished professor at the University of Utah, described the annual Mexican celebration honoring the dead during a Day of the Dead celebration Friday at the J. Willard Marriot Library.

The celebration was organized by the University of Utah through the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, J. Willard Marriott Library, College of Fine Arts, and Department of Ethnic Studies.

The event included an ofrenda, or altar, where community members were invited to share photos of their deceased loved ones. An altar is a way to share offerings with those who have passed away. Some offerings to the dead include food, flowers, photographs and souvenirs.

Other elements of the altar on display include handmade sugar skulls, flowers, and papel picado, meaning “chopped” or “punched” paper, and banners made from paper or plastic panels cut into intricate designs.

A panel session on the life and death cycle of people from different cultures and spiritualities was also held at the event.

For Roxanne Gray, a graduate student at the University of Utah School of Dance, helping during the event and celebrating the Day of the Dead was a chance to connect with her own culture.

“My family came here a few generations ago and experienced a lot of forced assimilation,” Gray explained. “I don’t speak Spanish anymore. I didn’t grow up celebrating Dia de Muertos, so having that holiday back was truly validating and wonderful for me. I have three children and I teach these to my children. So it was so nice for me to connect with my ancestors in a new way that was culturally unique to me…”

As part of the celebration, more than 50 East High School students were also invited to the university to learn more about the school and the Day of the Dead. East High School students had the opportunity to watch and participate in the Spanish folk dance show called Sevillanas performed by Dance School students.

One theme rang true for everyone who attended the event. The Day of the Dead is not a time for much sadness but rather a time to celebrate the spirits of the dead and invite them to join their families to enjoy the things they love.

“I always make an agenda for my grandparents, who passed away two years ago,” said college student Janet Lopez. “They (Ofrendas) have a great meaning because they are like a bridge for my grandparents to come back to our home.”

Dia de Muertos is usually celebrated on November 1 and 2, but the Ofrenda/altar at the University of Utah J. Willard Marriot Library will be on display until November 21 and is free and open to the public.