El Día de los Muertos

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1 El Día de los Muertos Curriculum Guide The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is proud to offer this resource in celebration of El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) to teachers and other educators. The information in this packet will help you address the ways different cultures approach death and remember the deceased, talk about the traditions that created the modern holiday, and look at the symbols, objects, and art of the Day of the Dead. We hope that you will find this packet helpful as you work with your students to learn more about the Day of the Dead. Questions? Please call Brooks Education at In this guide: Introduction to the Day of the Dead pg. 2 Vocabulary pg. 4 Suggested Classroom Discussion pg. 6 and Cross-curricular Activities General Resources pg. 8 Classroom Activities pg. 10

2 El Día de los Muertos The Day of the Dead known in Spanish as El Día de los Muertos is an annual celebration which celebrates death as a part of the human experience and honors the spirits of the dead. The holiday is observed on November 1 st and 2 nd in Mexico, parts of the United States, and in many countries in Central and South America. Observances of the holiday vary from region to region, and from country to country, depending on the religious and cultural traditions of the people in that area. This holiday has its roots in ancient traditions; the Olmec, Toltec, and Aztec cultures all had rituals to honor their deceased ancestors. The Aztecs in particular believed in deities who symbolized and personified death, and many pre-columbian cultures believed in an afterlife or the spirit s existence after death. In the 1500s, with the colonization of Mexico by the Spanish, the Aztec holidays celebrating the dead and the Roman Catholic Church holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls' Day began to blend. Over the centuries, these traditions transformed into the modern El Día de los Muertos. El Día de los Muertos is a special time for remembering loved ones who have died. According to popular belief, on the Day of the Dead the spirits of the dead return to commune with the living. Paths of flower petals and burning incense lead spirits to the houses of their living relatives. Families prepare their homes for their loved ones return by creating ofrendas, or altars, adorned with photographs of the deceased, candles, banners of tissue paper cut into intricate designs called papel picado, and other items such as the favorite foods and drinks of the deceased or items enjoyed during his or her lifetime. Special loaves of bread known as pan de muerto are baked for the holiday and are often included in offerings to the spirits. The ofrenda is also decorated with flowers, especially an orange or yellow flower known as cempasúchil. In addition to the altars, many families celebrate the holiday by visiting cemeteries to decorate the graves of loved ones and celebrate their lives with dancing, praying, feasting, and music. Artists and craftspeople of all types take part in producing items used to celebrate El Día de los Muertos. In some areas, artisans construct papier-mâché skeletons and skulls and often arrange them in tableaus that tell a story, sometimes a social or political satire. Skulls made from sugar are also common. These calaveritas de azúcar, or sugar skulls, are decorated with icing, glitter, and foil and are often placed on altars. One artist in particular, José Guadalupe Posada ( ), is especially known for his Día de los Muertos imagery. Posada, a Mexican printmaker, illustrator, and caricaturist, created a series of prints showing skeletons engaged in various dayto-day activities. In these prints one of the most famous images related to El Día de los Muertos, La Calavera Catrina, the Fancy Lady, first appeared. Typically shown as a skeleton in fancy clothes and a large hat, La Catrina has become iconic of El Día de los Muertos. 2

3 Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico often involve visits to cemeteries, where families leave ofrendas (offerings) for deceased loved ones. Elaborate masks, such as the one shown here, are placed on altars or worn during celebrations. Papel picado La Catrina, at the Brooks 2013 Día de los Muertos Community Day 3

4 Vocabulary Day of the Dead Altar: Anticipating visits by the spirits of their deceased relatives and ancestors, family members construct altars in their homes. The act of preparing an altar by placing photographs, flowers, candles, and favorite food and drink of the loved one provides a special time to remember and celebrate the lives of those who have died. Some families prepare the altar at the family grave site, lighting a candle for each deceased family member, remembering their names, and placing flowers on and around the graves. Calaca: Calacas are hand-crafted skeletons that are funny and friendly rather than frightening or spooky. They represent deceased loved ones, their occupations, and their hobbies. As they are placed on the altar, the delightful skeleton figures bring back fond memories and cause the grieving ones to smile. Calaveritas de Azúcar: Calaveritas de Azúcar means sugar skull in Spanish. These are a type of traditional Latin American ornament or treat used on the Día de los Muertos altar. They are primarily made of sugar and are shaped like human skulls usually with colorful designs. Many families have their own traditions for the calaveras, for example, in some Mexican and Mexican-American families, it is traditional for each member of the family to have a sugar skull with their name on it. La Catrina: In 1912, José Guadelupe Posada created a famous print of a skeletal woman, dressed in the clothes worn by the Mexican upper class at the time. The figure was called La Calavera Catrina. La Catrina has since become an iconic part of Día de los Muertos. During the Day of the Dead festival women dress up in rich and colorful clothing and paint their faces to look like skulls. With their smiling and skeletal faces these women symbolize both the joy of life and the reality of death. José Guadalupe Posada, La Calavera Catrina, etching, Cempasúchil: During Día de los Muertos, flowers, symbolizing the brevity of life, are massed and fashioned into garlands, wreaths, and crosses to decorate altars and graves. The orange marigold is the most traditional flower of the season. In Aztec times it was called the cempasúchil, the flower of 400 lives. The fragrance of the cempasúchil is thought to lead the spirits home, and often a path of petals leads out of the cemetery towards the homes of the deceased s relatives. 4

5 Copal: Copal is the resinous sap of a Mexican tree, burned as incense since the time of the Aztecs as an offering to the gods. On a Day of the Dead altar, the scent attracts the spirits, drawing them home. It is also used to cleanse the area and to ward off evil. El Día de los Muertos: Day of the Dead; while death is a topic usually avoided in the United States, celebrations honoring deceased ancestors and loved ones are traditional among diverse cultures around the world. El Día de los Muertos (November 1 st and 2 nd ) is a holiday celebrated annually in Mexico, parts of the United States, and South and Central America; it is not a sad time but instead an occasion for remembering and rejoicing the lives of those who have passed. Ofrenda: An offering; it is another word for the altar where food, candles, photographs, and mementos are left for the dead during El Día de los Muertos. Toys are brought for dead children (los angelitos, or little angels). Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, pan de muerto, or sugar skulls and beverages such as atole. The ofrendas are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased. Pan de muerto: Literally Bread of the Dead. Pan de muerto is a special type of bread baked into different shapes (human, bones, etc.) and is often left as an offering on a family altar. Image source: Papel picado: Colorful tissue paper that is cut and punched into intricate designs and strung to flutter over and around the altar. This custom comes from the Aztecs who used paper banners in rituals. The colors used represent: Black for the Pre-Hispanic religions and land of the dead. Purple from the Catholic calendar to signify pain, suffering, grief, mourning. Families use purple to signify the loss of their loved ones. Pink for celebration of the lives of the deceased. White for purity and hope. Yellow and Orange for the marigold, the sun, light. 5

6 Classroom Discussion Day of the Dead This classroom discussion is best done before your museum visit as preparation for the visit. Based on the discussion, you can fill in any information about which the students are not clear using the introduction in this packet, or you can search for additional information using the suggested books and websites provided. You may also want to include some visual images to help facilitate a more thorough understanding of the holiday. A Día de los Muertos Powerpoint with images and information is available on the Brooks website and ready for use in class. DISCUSSION STARTERS: Has anyone ever heard of the Day of the Dead / El Día de los Muertos? How does your family recognize the death of a loved one? How does your family remember ancestors and your family heritage? Your discussion should include why people celebrate themes of death. Be sure to explain that there are different ways of discussing, understanding, and dealing with the fears of death and life. El Día de los Muertos is one way that a specific culture has come to confront issues surrounding the cycle of life, and their belief in what happens after death. Cross-Curricular Activities Day of the Dead These are some suggested activities that you can do in your classroom before or after your visit to the Brooks Museum to help make your students celebration of the Day of the Dead more meaningful. SCIENCE: Discover what constitutes living organisms, non-living organisms, and non-living things. Discuss how all organisms and organic material are living things which have a life cycle with a genesis, growth and development period, and death. Take your class outside or to a nearby park to find nature. Have students work in groups to collect items and classify them as organic or non-organic. Then regroup and have each group report on their findings. Select several items for class discussion and prompt students to consider what happens to each object as it begins to develop as well as die and decompose. How does the object change in: color, size, shape, smell, and other physical properties? Place a fruit or vegetable in an airtight container and watch it decompose over time. 6

7 Research Monarch Butterflies According to traditional belief, the Monarch Butterflies who return to Mexico each fall are the souls of ancestors who are returning to Earth for their annual visit. Younger students can research the life cycle of a butterfly from egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly. Assignments can include drawings, dioramas, 3D reproductions or written papers. Students can be divided into teams to present their findings. Younger students can also participate in growing their own butterflies from larvae through the use of a butterfly life cycle classroom kit. Older students can research the butterflies incredible migration from Canada to Mexico and what makes their species and their journey unique. LANGUAGE ARTS: Reflective Writing Assignment Students can reflect on a friend or family member who has passed away, and write an essay about that person s life and how the deceased touched their life. Students can write a proposal for the creation of an altar for their deceased loved one. What would they include on the altar? What were some of their loved one s favorite things? Be sure to include a drawing of what the finished product would look like. See the Altar instructions in the activities section (Classroom Activity 1) of this packet for more information. SOCIAL STUDIES: Research Day of the Dead Food Customs Have your students research the kinds of foods people enjoy eating during the Day of the Dead. Try out a recipe for pan de muerto (or check with a local international grocery store or bakery) and bring some for your class to try. See the Activities section (Classroom Activity 5) of this packet for a Pan de Muerto recipe. Research the ways that different cultures remember the dead Different cultures around the world have unique ways of honoring the dead and confronting the issue of death. Have your students research a variety of different cultures and religious groups views of death and report their findings to the class. (Suggestions could include the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, and Mayans; also Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians). Build an altar, make sugar skulls or barriletes, or create a tapete See instructions for each project in the Classroom Activities section of this packet. 7

8 General Resources Day of the Dead BOOKS Grades K-5: Amado, Alisa. Barrilete: A Kite for the Day of the Dead. (Publishers Group West), ISBN-10: Ancona Daz, George. Pablo Remembers : The Fiesta of the Day of the Dead. (New York: Lothrop, Lee, and Shepard Books), ISBN-10: Barner, Bob. The Day of the Dead. El Día de los Muertos. Translated by Teresa Mlawer. (New York: Holiday House), ISBN-10: Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane. Day of the Dead: A Mexican American Celebration. (New York: Holiday House), ISBN Johnston, Tony and Jeanette Winter. Day of the Dead. (Voyager Books), ISBN-10: Keep, Richard. Clatter Bash! A Day of the Dead Celebration. (Peachtree Publishers), ISBN- 10: Lasky, Kathryn. Days of the Dead. Photographs by Christopher G. Knight. (New York: Hyperion Books for Children), ISBN: Levy, Janice. The Spirit of Tio Fernando: A Day of the Dead Story. (Monton Grove, IL: A Whitman), ISBN-10: Lowery, Linda and Barbara Knutson. Day of the Dead (On My Own Holidays). (Lerner Publishing Group), ISBN-10: Luenn, Nancy. A Gift for Abuelita. (Rising Moon), ISBN-10: San Vicente, Luis. Festival of Bones / El Festival de las Calaveras: The Little-Bitty Book for the Day of the Dead. (Cinco Puntos Press), ISBN-10: Upper grades and Teachers: Andrade, Mary J. A Través de los Ojos del Alma, Dia de Muertos en México Oaxaca / Through the Eyes of the Soul, Day of the Dead in Mexico Oaxaca. (San Jose, CA), ISBN-10:

9 Arquette, Kerry, Andrea Zocchi, and Jerry Vigil. Day of the Dead Crafts: More than 24 Projects that Celebrate Dia de los Muertos. (Wiley), ISBN-10: Berdecio, Robert and Stanley Applebaum. Posada s Popular Mexican Prints: 25 Cuts by Jose Guadalupe Posada. (New York: Dover Publications), ISBN-10: Carmichael, Elizabeth and Chloe Sayer. The Skeleton at the Feast: The Day of the Dead in Mexico. (Austin: University of Texas Press), ISBN-13: Garciagodoy, Juanita. Digging the Days of the Dead: A Reading of Mexico s Dias de Muertos. (University Press of Colorado), ISBN-10: Greenleigh, John and Rosalind Rosoff Beimler. The Days of the Dead: Mexico s Festival of Communion with the Departed. (Rohnert Park, CA: Pomegranate), ISBN-10: Moss, Jean. The Day of the Dead: A Pictorial Archive of Dia de Los Muertos. (Dover Publications), ISBN-10: Sayer, Chloe. Fiesta: Days of the Dead & Other Mexican Festivals Hardcover. (University of Texas Press) ISBN-10: Trenchard, Kathleen. Mexican Papercutting: Simple Techniques for Creating Colorful Cut-Paper Projects. (New York: Lark Books), ISBN-10: Williams, Kitty and Stevie Mack. Day of the Dead. (Gibbs Smith), ISBN-10: LINKS This packet was created in collaboration with the Rhodes College Fellowship Program, the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, and Dr. Eric Henager. Special thanks to Cheekwood Art and Gardens and the Center for Latin American Studies at Vanderbilt University for providing portions of the information and activities in this packet. 9

10 Classroom Activity 1 Build an Altar DEDICATE YOUR ALTAR As a class, brainstorm some ideas for a person to whom you could create and dedicate an altar. Is it a student, teacher, or someone else who is important to your school who is now deceased? Is it a contemporary celebrity who has died? An artist? A literary figure? Who would you like to honor and why? DECORATE YOUR ALTAR Here is a list of some items you could use to create your altar: o a photo of the person to whom you ll devote your altar o a few large cardboard boxes for the base or a table to place your altar on top of o some paper or fabric to cover the boxes or table (butcher paper works well) o papel picado (intricately cut tissue paper to string around the altar your students can make it easily in your classroom) o candles (real or artificial) Candles represent fire and these symbolize our love for our relatives, friends, loved ones and the deceased who you are honoring. They also provide guiding lights for the spirit to return to our world. Four (4) candles at the top of the altar represent the four cardinal directions, which were significant for the Aztecs. o flowers (you can use real flowers, artificial flowers, or make them out of tissue paper) While making the altar more visually appealing, flowers also serve another purpose. Yellow or orange flowers like marigolds, cempasúchil, serve as a guide to bring spirits into the mortal world. White flowers symbolize the sky, and purple flowers are the traditional color of mourning in Mexico. o offerings of food or drink to the deceased (real or artificial) More traditional altars often include feasts of the foods and the drinks the deceased enjoyed during life or traditional foods from that culture; for example, some Mexican altars include tamales, oranges, pan de muerto, pumpkin, seasonal fruits and mole. Altars may also include a glass of water for the deceased to quench their thirst after their long journey o skulls (paper, sugar, plastic, or handmade) o Items or representations of the things the deceased enjoyed during life for example: if you are honoring a person who loved soccer, you could include a soccer ball or a jersey from their favorite team; if the deceased was a musician you could include the instrument the deceased played or a music album. o A bowl with water, a towel, and soap These 3 items are often included on traditional altars and provide the spirits of the dead an opportunity to cleanse and refresh themselves after their long journey. 10

11 ONLINE RESOURCES Cheekwood jp Altar dedicated to Dolores Olmedo at the Museo Dolores Olmedo in Mexico City Photograph by Luis Roj96 Altar created as part of a Día de los Muertos celebration in Mexico City Photograph by Eneas de Troya 11

12 Classroom Activity 2 Barriletes Barriletes are a type of circular kite frequently used in Day of the Dead celebrations in Guatemala. This tradition of flying kites on November 1 is a unique aspect of the Guatemalan celebration of El Día de los Muertos. The kites serve as a symbolic connection to the dead, with the kite string providing a direct line of communication as well as guiding the returning spirits to their families. Once the celebrations have ended, the kites are burned so that the dead may rest peacefully until the next year. The barriletes range in size from smaller, handheld kites to kites 60 feet across. They are made from colored paper and fabric. Some Guatemalans work in large groups to create them and can spend the entire year working on a single large kite. You will need: Colored tissue paper Paper plates, cardboard circles, or embroidery rings Glue Barriletes in Guatemala. Image source: mpango_'07_041.jpg These are easily made using paper plates but it is also possible to use paper held by an embroidery ring (this is more difficult but allows more variation in size). Instructions: 1. Students can start by sketching out a design on the plate or they can decide on the design as they go. 2. Students then cut out small pieces of tissue paper and glue it to the plate according to their design. 3. The tissue paper can also be used to create streamers by attaching strips or fringe to the back of the plate. Tip: These look great hung from the ceiling as a form of classroom decoration during the festival. 12

13 Kite festival in celebration of El Día de los Muertos in the graveyard of Santiago Sacatepequez, Guatemala. Image source: Student barriletes. Image source: 13

14 Classroom Activity 3 Tapetes In places where Day of the Dead is a particularly important festival (Oaxaca for example), tapetes (carpet) are made with sand and can take up large sections of the street. They typically depict Catrinas or skeletons. Tapetes can take hours to create, but once they are finished parades begin to walk over them, eventually completely destroying them. They are designed to symbolise the transience of life. Tapetes can also be made with chalk or colored sawdust. If your school is planning a large Day of the Dead celebration or you would like a more collaborative project then you can create a tapete out of chalk in an outdoor area, for example, in a parking space (defined edges are helpful!). However, if you are looking for something students can do individually, these instructions for sand tapetes that can be made on projector transparency sheets. You will need: Templates (optional) Overhead Transparency sheets Various Colors of Sand Small, liquid, squeezable glue bottles Tapete. Image Source: dia-de-muertos-en-tepotzotlan.html The templates could be easily-traceable images of decorated skulls or Catrinas. Place them underneath the transparencies so that the children can trace the image with glue. For older children, they could also use blank paper to draw their own images to trace onto the transparency. Instructions: 1. Place the transparencies over the template or drawing. 2. Use the glue to trace the image. You will be pouring the sand over the glue in order to color it so place the glue according to where you want each color. It is easier (and less messy) to do this one color at a time, adding glue each time you want a different color. 3. Pour or sprinkle the colored sand over the part you have glued and then shake off the excess. 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have colored the entire the image, then leave to dry. Tip: It is easier to start from the inside and move outward as this way the sand mixes less as you shake it off. 14

15 Classroom Activity 4 Calaveritas de Azúcar Sugar skulls are a traditional folk art from Central and Southern Mexico that are used to celebrate El Día de los Muertos. Sugar skulls are one of the many items that adorn the altars created for the holiday. These sugar skulls can have the name of the departed family member being honored or the name of one of the living family members written in icing on the top. Sugar skulls are primarily made of sugar that has been molded in the shape of skulls usually with colorful designs using icing and pieces of bright foil as decoration. You will need: (This is a recipe for 30 skulls) Sugar Skull molds (can be purchased online) 5 Cups Granulated Sugar 5 teaspoons meringue powder (can be purchased online) 5 teaspoons water Traditional Calaveritas de Azúcar Instructions: (Please Note: Do not try to make sugar skulls on rainy or humid days. The mixture needs dry weather to set.) 1. Mix the sugar, meringue powder and water with your hands until all the sugar is wet and when squeezed, fingerprints are visible in the mixture. 2. Press the sugar mixture firmly into skull molds. 3. Use a straight edge to scrape across the back of the mold, making sure that the mixture is level. 4. Place a piece of cardboard over the back of the mould and turn over quickly. Then lift the mold off. 5. The skulls need to remain on the cardboard overnight to air-dry. Once the skulls are completely dry and hard they are ready to decorate. 6. Decorate the skulls with icing. The easiest way to do this is to use squeezable icing bottles with a fine application top. Use the icing as glue to hold glitter, sequins, or other items. Remember: Sugar skulls are not edible if items other than icing are used for decoration (glitter, etc.). 15

16 Classroom Activity 5 Pan de Muerto Special loaves of bread known as pan de muerto are baked for the holiday and are often included in offerings to the spirits. Pan de muerto is Spanish for bread of the dead and is often baked into shapes resembling humans, bones, or other shapes. Ingredients 1/4 cup margarine 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees) 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons anise seed 1/4 cup white sugar 2 eggs, beaten 2 teaspoons orange zest 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon orange zest 2 tablespoons white sugar Illustration by Adolfo Mendez Segura Directions 1. Heat the milk and the butter together in a medium saucepan, until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and add them warm water. The mixture should be around 110 degrees. 2. In a large bowl combine 1 cup of the flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat in the warm milk mixture then add the eggs and orange zest and beat until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of flour and continue adding more flour until the dough is soft. 3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. 4. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take about 1 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape it into a large round loaf with a round knob on top. Place dough onto a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until just about doubled in size. Add other decorations to the top of the loaf, such as bonelike shapes, using smaller pieces of dough. 5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven let cool slightly then brush with glaze (see Step 6). 6. To make glaze: In a small saucepan combine the Pan de Muerto. Image source: 1/4 cup sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes. Brush over top of bread while still warm. Sprinkle glazed bread with white or colored sugar. Tip: You can find similar recipes and decorating tips online. 16