Death is not always something to be mourned. Sometimes, it's an opportunity to celebrate the life of the deceased. With that in mind, Mount Bethel Cemetery will host a Dia de Muertos (day of the dead) celebration on Sunday, Oct. 31, at the cemetery, 700 Locust St., Columbia. The event will be held in conjunction with the Columbia Halloween Tour and will run from 3 to 8 p.m. Tickets for the tour can be purchased at the Columbia Market House on the day of the event from 2:30 to 6 p.m.

Although celebrated throughout Latin America, Dia de Muertos is most strongly associated with Mexico, where the tradition originated, said Claire Storm, one of the event organizers. "This is a day of celebration," she explained. "You celebrate those people who have gone before you." Traditional Dia de Muertos events include food, drinks, parties and activities the deceased enjoyed in life.

At the cemetery, an ofrenda will be set up. "This is an altar where people will be able to memorialize with a candle someone who has passed, someone who meant something special to them," Storm stated. The ofrenda will be located on the cottage porch in the cemetery, and the cottage will feature some spooky sights.

"Inside, we'll have a human skeleton. His name is Harry," Storm said, noting that Harry dates to the 1800s. "He'll be joined by a non-human skeleton named Clarence. We'll also have an opportunity for anyone who would like to make a mask. This is traditionally part of Dia de Muertos as well. The people celebrating wear masks as part of the festivities."

Mini tours of the cemetery will be offered, with opportunities for visitors to meet the descendants of people who are buried there. Nevaeh Pittenger and Payton Fulmer, both students at Our Lady of the Angels School, will be among the presenters, along with Charlene Bair. Nevaeh will memorialize the medical personnel interred in the cemetery. Payton will celebrate his great-great-great-grandfather, and Charlene will discuss her relative's death on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Cemetery superintendent Ron Mable will also give a brief overview of the site.

The Friends of the Mount Bethel Cemetery originally planned to hold this event on their own but decided to make it a stop on the Columbia Halloween Tour to be part of the community-wide celebration.

"I think it's going to be really neat for people to stop here on the tour and learn more about the people who played a role in the establishment of our town," Storm said. "There are a lot of well-known people buried in this cemetery."

For more information on the cemetery, visit https://mtbethelcemetery.org. For more information on the Halloween Tour, search for "Create Columbia" on Facebook.