When Peter Marin speaks about Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, his words carry both reverence for the past and an urgency for the present. An artist, educator, and Mexican immigrant who now calls North Carolina home, Marin has dedicated much of his work to preserving and sharing this centuries-old tradition with communities across the state, including right here in Sampson County.
“It is not a religious holiday,” Marin explained. “On the contrary, it’s a time when anybody can participate. Participation is simply remembering, honoring, and celebrating our dead.”
For many Americans, the Day of the Dead may conjure up bright marigolds, sugar skulls, or even popular media portrayals like Disney’s “Coco,” yet Marin stresses that the holiday is far deeper than its commercial symbols. It is a living cultural practice that weaves together memory, art, history, and community.
Originating in Mexico more than 3,500 years ago, the holiday has evolved through a blend of pre-Hispanic, European, and now American traditions. It takes place on Nov. 1 and 2, coinciding with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on the Christian calendar, though its roots extend far deeper.
Central to the celebration is the ofrenda, or offering. Often mistaken for a religious altar, the ofrenda is in fact a visual and emotional expression of memory. Families build these vibrant displays in their homes, schools, and public spaces, filling them with photos, food, candles, flowers, and personal items that remind them of those who have passed.
“The offering is simply our memory,” Marin said. “Mexicans believe that if we forget about our loved ones and our ancestors, then they are truly dead. This tradition allows us, every year, to gather, to not forget, and to celebrate them.”
While grief and loss are a part of life, Día de los Muertos shifts the focus to joy, storytelling, and connection. “It’s a festive holiday,” Marin added. “Children love to participate, and it is quickly becoming integrated into the American cultural fabric.”
For all its vibrancy, the holiday is not without its challenges in the United States. Marin often finds himself addressing misconceptions that surround it, particularly the false belief that the celebration has ties to witchcraft or satanic practices.
“Something that we were able to make clear last week during our workshop is that this is not a satanic practice,” he said. “We are simply honoring our dead, something that everybody does. With education, people understand that this isn’t something to fear. In fact, they realize it’s something they find interesting and might want to do themselves.”
That educational component is at the heart of Marin’s work. Through school visits, lectures, and community workshops, he brings both the history and the creative expression of the holiday into classrooms. Students learn the origins of the tradition and then participate in hands-on projects, from making paper flowers and clay skulls to constructing their own ofrendas.
“The curriculum I teach is designed to meet state standards for every grade level, whether elementary, middle, or high school,” he said. “But more than anything, it’s a way for students to express themselves artistically while learning what this holiday is about.”
If memory is the soul of Día de los Muertos, then art is its heartbeat. Each ofrenda requires creativity and craftsmanship—paper marigolds, sugar skulls, papel picado banners, candles, photos, food, and other handcrafted offerings. The result is a collective expression of love that is as beautiful as it is meaningful.
“When you put it all together, it’s a wonderful celebration,” Marin said. “Art is truly at the center of this tradition.”
Marin has put this into practice through projects such as Oakwood, an annual event held at Raleigh’s Historic Oakwood Cemetery. Last year, the celebration drew more than 5,000 people, and it continues to expand across North Carolina. This year, Marin is working with nine schools and sharing the program in places as far as Jefferson, Clinton, and even Detroit.
Beyond the artistry and history, Marin believes Día de los Muertos serves a larger purpose, one of cultural connection.
“As Latinos, and as Mexicans, we love to share our traditions,” he said. “Nowadays, since Latinos are often being targeted or painted negatively, it is important for me as a Mexican to demonstrate to our neighbors that we are people who love to share, who love to bring you into the fold, who love to celebrate our ancestors together. It’s a way of creating bridges rather than putting up walls.”
For Marin, the celebration is not about drawing lines between cultures but about finding the universal truths within them. After all, every culture remembers its dead. Every community tells stories of its ancestors. Día de los Muertos simply makes that memory a public, joyful, and colorful act.
“It’s a holiday that welcomes everybody, young and old,” he said. “There’s no requirement. It’s about memory, and that belongs to all of us.”
That spirit of memory and celebration will come alive in Clinton this fall through a series of community events leading up to Día de Sampson on Nov. 2.
Oct. 11 – At the Clinton Square Fair, the public is invited to join in an art activity near the Milling Around public art piece downtown, where participants will help create paper marigolds for the community ofrenda.
Oct. 28–31 – From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2–5 p.m., community members may bring a photo (5×7 or smaller) of a deceased loved one to be placed on the ofrenda. Drop-off will take place at the Victor R. Small House, 709 College Street in Clinton.
Nov. 1 – Volunteers are needed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help set up and decorate the ofrenda at the Small House.
Nov. 2 – Día de Sampson, a community Day of the Dead event, will be held from 2–4 p.m. at the Small House. The afternoon will feature music, dancing, face painting, crafts for kids, and refreshments. Admission is free and open to the public.
Nov. 2–7 – The completed ofrenda will remain on display inside the Victor R. Small House gallery. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2–5 p.m.
For more information about these events, call the Sampson Arts Council at 910-596-2533.
As Marin put it, the celebration is more than just tradition. It is a bridge between cultures and generations. “If we forget about our loved ones, then they are truly gone,” he said. “But when we gather each year to remember them, to laugh and to celebrate their lives, we keep them alive within us. That is the true spirit of Día de los Muertos.”