El Día de los Muertos

El Día de los Muertos
The Basics
 El Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is an annual
celebration to honor the spirits of the dead, observed in Mexico,
parts of the United States, and in many Central and South
American countries on November 1 and 2.
 El Dia de los Muertos coincides with the All Souls' Day, a Roman
Catholic holiday that honors the deceased so they might “rest in
peace.”
 According to popular belief, on this day the spirits of the dead
return to commune with the living.
 Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico often involve visits to
cemeteries, where families leave ofrendas (offerings) for deceased
loved ones, and elaborate masks and skeletons, which are placed
on altars or worn in ceremonies.
Roots
 This holiday has its roots in
the Olmec, Toltec, and Aztec
cultures, which all had
rituals to honor their
deceased ancestors.
 The Aztecs believed in
deities who symbolized and
personified death.
 Many pre-Columbian
cultures believed in an
afterlife or the spirit’s
existence after death.
Traditions
 Most Day of the Dead
activities take place in
the home
 Paths of flower petals
and burning incense lead
spirits to the houses of
their living relatives.
Food
 Special loaves of bread
known as hojaldra or pan
de muerto are baked for the
holiday and are often
offerings to the spirits.
 Other food offerings are
dishes the deceased person
enjoyed in life.
Ofrendas
 The ofrenda (offering) is
decorated with flowers,
especially cempasúchil
(flower of the dead) and
the mano de león (lion’s
paw).
 Arches of palm leaves and
banners of tissue paper
cut into intricate designs
called papel picado hang
above the ofrenda.
 Many families construct
ofrendas heaped with gifts
of food and drink for the
spirits of the dead.
More Food
 After the spirits have been
given an opportunity to
partake of the offerings,
the celebrants eat the food.
 Leftover food is placed on
the graves of dead relatives
or distributed to living
relatives and other
members of the
community.
 Ill fortune, such as sickness
or death, may befall those
who do not make offerings.
Skulls
 In some areas, especially in
Mexico City, many celebrants
construct papier-mâché
skeletons and skulls.
 These are often arranged in
tableaus that tell a story,
sometimes a social or political
satire.
 Skulls made from sugar are
also common.
 Ofrenda competitions and
Day of the Dead dances have
become increasingly popular.
Altar
o Anticipating visits by the
spirits of their deceased
relatives and ancestors, family
members construct altars in
their homes.
o The act of preparing an altar
by placing photographs,
flowers, candles, and favorite
food and drink of the loved
one provides a special time to
remember, and to transform
grief into acceptance.
o Some families prepare the
altar of offerings at the family
grave site, lighting a candle
for each deceased family
member, and placing flowers
at the cemetery.
Calacas
o Hand-crafted skeletons that
are funny and friendly rather
than frightening or spooky.
o They represent the deceased
loved ones, their
occupations, and their
hobbies.
o As they are placed on the
altar, the delightful skeleton
figures bring back fond
memories and cause the
grieving ones to smile.
Calaveritas de Azúcar
o A calavera is a type of
traditional treat used on the
Dia de los Muertos altar.
o They are primarily made of
sugar and are shaped in the
image of skulls – usually with
colorful designs.
o Many families have their own
traditions for the calaveras, for
example, in Mexican and
Mexican-American families, it
is traditional for each member
of the family to have a sugar
skull with their name in it.
o Calavera means skull in
Spanish.
Cempasúchil
o Marigolds, symbolizing the
brevity of life, are fashioned
into garlands, wreaths, and
crosses to decorate the altar
and the grave.
o In Aztec times it was called
the cempasúchil, the flower of
400 lives.
o The fragrance leads the
spirits home.
o Sometimes paths of the
petals lead out of the
cemetery and to the house to
guide the spirits.
Copal
o Copal is the resinous
sap of a Mexican tree,
burned as incense
since the time of the
Aztecs as an offering
to the gods.
o The scent attracts
spirits, drawing them
home.
o Also used to cleanse
the area and to ward
off evil.
Pan de Muerto
o “Bread of the Dead”
o Often left as an
offering on a family
altar
Papel Picado
o Colorful tissue paper, papel
picado, is cut into intricate
designs and strung to flutter
over and around the altar.
o Black - for the Pre-Hispanic
religions and land of the
dead
o Purple - from the Catholic
calendar to signify pain,
suffering, grief, mourning
o Pink -for celebration
o White -for purity and hope
o Yellow and Orange - for the
marigold, the sun, light
o Red- representing for
Christians the blood of Jesus;
and for the indigenous, the
life blood of humans and
animals
Altar Building
 Brainstorm some ideas for a person to
whom you could dedicate an altar
 Then you will need:
 a photo of the person to whom you
will devote your altar
 a few large cardboard boxes for the
base
 some paper to cover the boxes
 papel picado (intricately cut tissue
paper to string around the altar)
 candles (real or fake)
 flowers (real or tissue paper)
 offerings of food or drink
 skulls (paper, sugar, plastic, etc.)