An exploration of Mexican Culture

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

WHAT IS DIA DE LOS MUERTOS?

• A celebration to honor the dead and a day of remembrance on the 1st

and 2nd of November

• A festive and joyous celebration, not morbid.

WHAT IS DIA DE LOS MUERTOS?

• Days of the Dead festival in Mexico looks scary but isn’t at all. During the first two days of November, friends and family who have died are remembered with happiness. Celebrations take place all over Mexico.

• There are parades, parties, fireworks, and displays. Everyone comes out to celebrate and visit the cemetaries.

HISTORY

• Celebrated by indigenous cultures (such as the Olmecs, Toltecs, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec and Aztecs) possibly as long as 3000 years ago.

• The Spanish moved the celebration to coincide with the catholic calendar, All Saints Day, November 2nd.

PRACTICES AND CELEBRATION

• Can be considered a religious holiday, usually in rural area, but is more of a cultural celebration in urban areas

• Altars are set up in homes honoring the dead, also set up in other places

OFRENDAS• Ofrenda means “offering” in Spanish.

• Ofrendas are an essential part of Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. The ofrendas are altars or shrines that are set up to honor the memory and remember those in the family that have died. Each classroom prepares an ofrenda in a school, but ofrendas can be very big or very small.

• Special breads and sugar skulls are made to leave as offerings to the dead- “Pan de Muerto”

• Many homes and public places are decorated, skulls and skeletons are a very popular theme

ALTARS• Some characteristics of altars:

• Two tiers

• Covering- cloth of some sort

May Include:

Candles

Marigolds

Incense

Salt

Photo of the deceased

Pan de muerto

Sugar skulls

Fresh fruit

Other foods

Water

Toiletries

Other Drinks

Items belonging to the deceased

Images of saints/Religious imagery

Papel Picado

Ceramics and Woven Baskets

ALTARS

• Should have CHARACTER and PERSONALITY

• No two look exactly the same

• Re-creates the memory of a loved one

PAPEL PICADO

• Decorative repeating designs cut out of

tissue paper

• Often birds, flowers, or skulls

• Designs are created by folding the paper

and using sharp scissors

• Families visit the graves of family members, leaving gifts and tending to the cemetery

• Parades are a common practice in the celebration and often lead to the cemetery, costumes and puppets are commonly found

Dia De Los Muertos Parade in Tucson, AZ

Dia De Los Muertos Parade in Tucson, AZ

Dia De Los Muertos Parade in Tucson, AZ

Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

•Calaveras- masks worn to ‘mock” death

•Ornate designs and colors

•Death as a continuation of life

Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (commonly called calavera). This symbol is represented in large paper mache sculptures, called calacas (colloquial term for "skeleton") and foods such as sugar skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead. Sugar skulls are gifts that can be given to both the living and the dead. They are very sweet to eat.

Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

•Ornate Line Designs

•Patterns

•Symmetrical

•Bright Colors

Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

DAY OF THE DEAD DANCING SKELETONS

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

• You will be creating a Diade los Muertos altar box.

• You will use mixed media to create: some craft supplies and some sculpting of air dry clay

• You will incorporate some of the traditional items used in the altar as well as make it personal

REQUIREMENTS

• At least three skulls and/or calaveras skeletons

• At least 5 ‘traditional’ altar items

• Something personal: this altar can be a remembrance of someone who has died that you know, or someone that you don’t know (maybe a celebrity or famous person), or even of a dog! How will you make it personal? Photographs? Writing? Sculpt something that was meaningful to them?

• Paint/Decoration on the box: maybe pick a theme and choose your design and material based on that theme. NO PART OF THE BOX should be showing

• Papel Picado

• Anything else you think would add to your altar

Altars Video