Dia De Los Muertos

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where the day is a bank holiday. The celebration takes place on October 31, November 1 and November 2. Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival

 dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl.

Dia de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Mexico. Many other countries around the world celebrate similar (or hybrid) versions of Day of the Dead as well, by having special days for honoring the dead. These celebrations occur in various countries in Central and South America, Europe and Asia, where they celebrate the holiday according to their own local customs.

Many people around the world, even if they are not directly

connected to Mexican culture, are drawn to the concept and imagery of Mexico's Day of the Dead, so the holiday seems to continually gain in popularity as more people learn about it.

Day of the Dead has also taken hold in areas with a high Mexican immigrant population, particularly in California, Texas, Arizona and other parts of the United States.

Although this celebration is associated with the dead, it is not portrayed as a morbid or depressing time, but rather a period full of life, happiness, color, food, family, and fun. There is excitement everywhere. In many areas, outdoor markets are displayed in which they sell many symbolic goods, such as special breads, flowers, pottery, baskets, candles, paper puppets, candy skulls, etc.

The main symbols of this holiday are skulls and skeletons, which are displayed throughout the cities. Scenes of skeletons hugging, marching, dancing, and laughing are seen in window displays on the streets. Marigolds are another significant symbol for the Day of the Dead festivity, and are known as the "flower of the dead." Their scent is believed to "attract the souls and draw them back."

Today, the Day of the Dead is a cherished, complex holiday celebration where death is seen as life. The common principle for this holiday is "whatever pleased the dead in life they are to have again." It is a holiday when the whole family comes together - both living and dead. This holiday festivity is believed to be a time for the departed to join the living in the celebrations of the "continuum of life."

Student Objectives:

• Pacesetters will recognize that certain cultures have celebrations unique to them.
• Pacesetters will recognize that a holiday celebrated by one ethnic culture may be honored in many countries as the cultural group disperses among different areas.
• Pacesetters will become familiar with a foreign language present in the Latino culture, and will be able to pronounce some words, as well as identify their meanings.
• Pacesetters will recognize that certain values and beliefs may be shared and reinforced through a celebration.

Procedure:

Pacesetters will color and cut out  two predesigned masks, face them opposite of each other, and staple around the perimeter. Pacesetters will then proceed to stuff the inside of the mask with cotton balls and staple a length of fishing line to the top of the mask. The masks will be hung up for display.  

Resources

Day of the Dead Facts

Wikipedia: Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead Unit