Transcript Dia De Los Muertos

EL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS
Dia de los muertos takes place
November 1st and 2nd.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN…
When the Spanish
Conquistadores arrived
in the land known now
as México, they were
shocked to discover
natives practicing a
ritual that seemed to
mock death.
The Aztecs and many
other pre-Hispanic
civilizations colleced
skulls as trophies and
used them during the
ritual. These skulls
symbolized death and
rebirth. Unlike the
Spaniards who viewed
death as the end of life,
the natives considered it
as a continuation of life.
To the Aztec
people, life was a
dream and only in
death they would
become awake.
The ritual had been
practiced for over
3000 years until the
Spaniards decided
to try to get rid of
it. But like the old
Aztec spirits, the
ritual refused to die
and continues to
live.
Today the Day of the Dead is
celebrated in the central and
southern states of México and in
certain parts of Central America
and the United States.
People in rural México
pay tribute every year
by spending the night in
the cemetery where
their loved ones are
buried. They decorate
the graves with Flores
de Muerto (marigold
flowerers), toys for the
children, and bottles of
mezcal for the adults.
In Mexico's larger cities, families
build altars dedicated to the dead.
They surround the altars with food,
skulls made of sugar, candles, sugar
cane, pictures of the deceased, items
that the deceased loved.
SKULLS
Skulls symbolize death and rebirth.
The Aztecs and Mesoamerican
civilizations kept skulls as trophies
and displayed them during rituals.
The skulls were also used to honor
the dead.
The skulls are typically grinning
because they are laughing at death.
They can be made from paper, wood,
paper maché, tin, or sugar.
PAN DE MUERTOS
This bread represents the soul of the departed.
Sometimes it is in the shape of a skull and can
be decorated with frosting or seeds. In Oaxaca
the seeds represent happiness.
FLOWERS/
MARIGOLDS (CEMPASÚCHITL)
The flowers must be specific colors,
orange and yellow, and are considered
the flowers of the dead.
The sweet smell and petals, which are
used to mark a clear path, lure the souls
back to homes and altars.
The orange marigold was the flower that
the Aztecs used to remember their dead.
Its color represents the tones of the
earth.
CANDLES
Common colors for candles are purple
(representing pain), white (for hope), and
pink (meaning celebration).
They are usually placed in the four cardinal
points, making a cross.
The light of the candle is used to illuminate
the way for the dead as they return.
Each candle represents a departed soul.
PAPEL PICADO
This is tissue paper (or plastic today)
with cut out holes that create pictures
or words. They are similar to paper
snowflakes although the pictures are
skulls or other appropriate pictures.
PHOTOS OF THE DECEASED
Photos in frames
of the deceased are
placed around the
altar in
remembrance.