1. El Día de Los Muertos

2. ¿Qué Es?
When the Spanish Conquistadors first landed in what is now Mexico more than 500 years ago, they found the natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death.
To the contrary, Day of the Dead is actually practiced to honor and celebrate the lives of ancestors who have passed away.

3. It is now celebrated in Mexico, throughout most of Central and South America, and much of the United States, including parts of California, New Mexico, and Arizona.
November 1st is All Saints Day and November 2nd All Souls Day.
The first is set aside for angelitos and the second for adults who have died.

4. The traditional belief is that death is not an end, but a new stage in life.
Families clean and decorate the graves of their loved ones with ofrendas, or offerings which are meant to signify the four elements of nature:
Earth= crop, or food
Wind= movement of tissue paper (papel picado)
Water= jug with water to quench the moving soul
Fire= wax candles
• Marigolds, the flower of the dead, are usually placed on the alters that are created to bear these offerings. The flowers are thought to attract the souls of the dead to the offerings.

6. Pan de muerto (“bread of the dead”), candied pumpkin, sugar skulls and beverages are placed among the other offerings on the alters.
The ofrendas are left out in homes in order to welcome the souls of the deceased which are thought to come on this day.
During the festivities, the food made for the alters is eaten in the belief that they are consuming “spiritual essence”, although the food is believed to have no nutritional value.
Pillows and blankets are also left out so the spirits can rest after their long journey back to this world
Everyone stays at the graves for the entire night and celebrates the lives of the dead.

7. At midnight on November 2, the people light candles and in winged boats called mariposas (“butterflies”) to ride to the cemetery in order to celebrate the dead.
Sometimes, children walk the streets at night asking for candy or small money donations, much like the traditions of Halloween.
Because there is a great butterfly migration to Mexico around this time, many people
believe that the souls of their
loved ones return on the wings
of monarch butterflies.
**This is my favorite part of
el día de los muertos. 

8. El arte del día de los muertos

9. Making Paper Flowers
Cut the large pieces of tissue paper into roughly fourths, trade with the people around you so that you get four fourths of the colors you would like.
Make a stack of your tissue paper in the order you want your petals to appear in the finished flower.
Begin folding the stack of tissue paper like an accordion. When it is done it will look like a very long rectangle.
Use your scissors and in the middle of your rectangle cut a triangle on both sides.

10. With the stem pointing down, GENTLY pull the layers of tissue paper up and into the center.
Do for both sides of the flower.
Once all the layers are pulled up, fluff them into place to look like a flower. =]

11. El Papel Picado

12. Fold a piece of tissue paper like a hamburger and then a hotdog 
Then use scissors to cut a design – much like how we make snowflakes – unfold the tissue paper to display your beautiful “papel picado”