Los Días de los Muertos

Honoring the Ancestors:An Hispanic Tradition

Los Días de los Muertos

Celebration honoring deceased ancestors

Celebrated from October 31st to November 2nd

Mixture of Hispanic Christian and ancient Native American traditions

Similar to, yet very different from, Halloween

History of Día de los Muertos

European Catholic traditions honored All Saints’ Day – November 1st and All Souls’ Day - November 2nd

In Ancient native American traditions the end of harvest & autumn signaled

a time for reflection & winter dormancy

Halloween vs Día de los Muertos

• Spooky & Scary

• Ghosts & Goblins

• Costumes & Masks

• Trick or Treat Candy

• Reverent & Respectful

• Altars & Flowers

• Photographs

• Favorite Foods / Drinks

The Latins honor the ancestors….• ……by celebrating their lives

Who were they in their life? What did they like to do, to eat, to drink? Sing? Dance? What did they love? What made them laugh?

How would they like to be remembered?

How is it celebrated?• Home is cleaned &

prepared for these very special guests

• Ofrenda is constructed• Cemetery tombstone is

cleaned & decorated• Food , flowers and

drink are purchased and displayed along with photos and favorite items

COMIDA FAVORITA

(favorite food)

VELAS

(candles)

COPAL

(Incense)

BEBIDAS

(drinks)

CALACAS

(skeletons)

OFRENDAS

(offerings)

FOTOS

(photographs)

PAPEL PICADO

(tissue paper)

FLORES

(flowers)

PAN de los MUERTOS

(bread of the dead)

El CEMENTARIO

(the cemetery)

DULCES

(sweets)

CALAVERAS

(whimsical skeletons)

MOLE

(chocolaty sauce)

MÁSCARAS

(masks)

AGUA

(water)

MUÑECAS

(dolls)

COSAS FAVORITAS

(favorite things)

ADORNOS

(decorations)

MUSICA

(music)

Vocabulario

La Ofrenda• Fresh fruit• Favorite foods• Incense• Flowers• Illumination• Familiar tokens• Photographs... all add to

the sensation

                                                                                      

La Ofrenda• Las velas• Los dulces• Las bebidas• La comida• Las frutas• El agua• Las flores• El sal• El pan de

los muertos• La calavera

El altar

Las Calaveras de Azucar

El Panteon

                                                                                      

En el Mercado

• Las calaveras

• El pan de muertos

• La flores

• Las frutas

• Las velas

• El copal

En el Cementario

• La familia y• Los parientes• Las velas• Las flores• La música• Toda la noche

En el CementarioAll the family

members join in

preparing for the vigil in

the cemetery

La Calavera

•

                                                                                                                   

Las Calacas

• • Whimsical figurines• Depicting people as

they once were in life

• Joking, laughing, being “human”

• Happy, everyday scenes

                                                                        

                                                                                                                   

Una Ofrenda

What have you learned? How is Day of the Dead different

from Halloween?

How do you honor your ancestors?

How would you remember a family member or friend who has died?