El Día de los Muertos

Celebrating Life, Celebrating Death

• In Mexico, the Day of the Dead is celebrated from October 31st to November 2nd.

• The holiday is a reflection of the belief in the circle of life, in which death plays a part and is not to be feared.

• It is not a sad time, but instead is a time of remembering and rejoicing!

Ofrendas• In homes, families arrange altars

called ofrendas with flowers, bread, candles, pictures, and other items that are reminders of the deceased.

Pan de Muerto

• Traditional loaves of bread called pan de muerto are baked and decorated with skulls and bones.

Flores

• In Mexico, it is a tradition to spend the night celebrating in the cemetery.

• Each gravesite is decorated with flowers.

• The traditional flower is the marigold.

Papel Picado

• Papel picado is a traditional art that is used to decorate homes, ofrendas, and markets.

• It is made from thin, colored tissue paper.

Calaveras

• The calavera, meaning skull or skeleton, is the key symbol of death.

• Most calaveras are not ghastly, but are symbolic of life.

• They are seen almost everywhere during the celebration in the form of sugar skulls, bread, cookies, and decorations.