Día de los Muertos

Día de los muertos is November 1st to November 2nd.

What US holiday does it remind you of?

People honor their loved ones who have died by decorating an altar with flowers, candles, food, banners, and trinkets that the loved one enjoyed when they were alive.

At the center is the loved one’s photo. Why?! ~Aztecs, first to celebrate this holiday ~Believed deceased loved one travelled back from their after life to visit ~Needed honored ~fed their food & drink ~freshen up once they arrived. Foods and drinks that the deceased enjoyed are placed by the altar.

Candles light the path so the loved one can find their way home Candles light the path so the loved one can find their way home. Also, the scent creates a path that they can follow with their sense of smell. All of the orange marigolds that you see in the photos also provide a scent for the deceased person to follow home.

The Aztecs would display skulls as a symbol of death and rebirth. The Spanish tried to stop the Aztecs from celebrating Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, but they refused. The Aztecs would display skulls as a symbol of death and rebirth. So, the Spanish made the Aztecs change the celebration from 1 month (August) to 2 days on November 1st & 2nd to coincide with All Saints Day & All Souls Day of the Catholic faith, even though Día de los Muertos is NOT religious. What do you imagine the Spaniards thought about this when they arrived?

Question… Memorial Day Knowing what we do about Día de los Muertos, what holiday in the U.S. is it most like? Memorial Day

Pan de Muerto=Bread of the Dead The altars are decorated with all types of food, especially bread. Bread is nutritious and filling, and the deceased will be hungry when they arrive back.

Real skulls are still used today. Just kidding. Sugar skulls are the popular décor now.

Cemetery at night…

An altar honoring a loved one who has passed away…. Sometimes people will leave a poem or letter for the loved one. Pictures are also placed on the altar so the deceased can see what their loved ones look like.

See how many elements of Día de los Muertos you can identify.

Choose a family member (alive or not) Write a 1 page paper explaining Your assignment: Choose a family member (alive or not) Write a 1 page paper explaining How you would honor them What your altar would look like Why you chose those items You will be graded SOLELY on grammar NO ONE will read these except me Oh, and a proofreader