Day of the Dead By: Cal, Haley, and Landon

Who The holiday is celebrated by Mexicans. Besides the living, another “who” includes the spirits that come to visit. Ancient Aztecs and Spanish missionaries both influenced the celebration. The Day of the Dead reveals a combination of the two cultures.

What People create alters covered with food, flowers, candles, incense, photos, mementos, and other things to honor the dead. The food replenishes the spirits when they come to visit. People then eat “leftover” food. Papel picato and sugar skulls are common decorations. Children play with calaveras, also known as skeletons. The skeletons have smiles and are never mean.

What People visit graves of deceased loved ones and decorate them with flowers. (Commonly orange marigolds.) Pan de Muerto is made. This is bread with “bones” on the top. In English this is known as Bread of the Dead. Toys are brought to the graves of dead children and tequila is bought in honor of deceased adults.

Where Cemeteries Homes Churches Both cities and rural areas Mexico

When The celebration starts at midnight on October 31. The celebration ends on November 2. During the time of the Aztecs, it was celebrated during the summer and took up an entire month.

Why Celebrate? The Day of the Dead is celebrated remember deceased loved ones. People want to honor spirits of the dead when they come back home to visit between October 31 and November 2. Mexicans hope that during the celebration, the spirits can hear prayers dedicated to them.

Why Celebrate? Although Mexicans mourn death, they also want to associate it with joy and happiness. This celebration makes it easier to accept that death is a part of life. The subject becomes easier to talk about after each year of celebration.

How to make Pan de Muerto Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water 5 to 5-1/2 cups flour 2 packages dry yeast 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon whole anise seed 1/2 cup sugar 4 eggs

How to Make Pan de Muerto In a saucepan over medium flame, heat the butter, milk and water until very warm but not boiling. Meanwhile, measure out 1-1/2 cups flour and set the rest aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and sugar. Beat in the warm liquid until well combined. Add the eggs and beat in another 1 cup of flour. Continue adding more flour until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead on lightly floured board for ten minutes until smooth and elastic. Lightly grease a bowl and place dough in it, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape into loaves resembling skulls, skeletons or round loaves with "bones" placed ornamentally around the top. Let these loaves rise for 1 hour. Bake in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and paint on glaze.

HalloweenDay of the Dead PumpkinsHappy skeletons Scary thingsSugar skulls WitchesPan de Muerto Trick or TreatOfrendas

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Credits zz13fwoaAGZhttp:// zz13fwoaAGZ dead-cemeteries/xoxo-cemetery-11.htmhttp:// dead-cemeteries/xoxo-cemetery-11.htm deadhttp://blogs.newamericamedia.org/photo-of-the-day/863/day-of-the- dead dead.htmlhttp://inspiredbites.blogspot.com/2008/10/pan-de-muerto-bread-of- dead.html