El día de los muertos
When is Day of the Dead?
• November 1- Honors dead children
• November 2- Honors dead adults
Where is it celebrated?
México y otros países
Which indigenous group influenced
The Day of the Dead?
What did the Aztecs always celebrate?
Death
What did the Aztecs say about life?
It was just a dream,
only in death are we truly awake.
What traditions are mixed in the
Day of the Dead?
Ancient Aztec traditions
with All Saints Day
What do people dress up like?
Skeletons
Every night during the festivities, what
takes place in the city?
Parades
Where are parties thrown?
Cemeteries
What are the parties for?
To welcome death and
to honor deceased loved ones
Who is La Catrina?
Day of the Dead’s most famous character
What does she represent?
A rich old lady, a reminder that even
money can’t keep us from death
What do they believe that those who
have passed away are going to do?
Their spirit will come back
What are some typical foods eaten during
the celebrations?
• Pan de muerto
• Sugar skulls
• Mole
What is mole?
A traditional sauce
What do people create to honor the dead?
Altars
What are the offerings?
Las ofrendas (the offerings) are placed on the altars.
They include pictures of the deceased, flowers, their
favorite food, and anything else they would like. The
altars are decorated with the offerings.
What do people decorate in the
graveyards?
Tombs
Halloween
When is Halloween?
October 31st
Where is it celebrated?
United States and other countries
Where did Halloween originate from?
• Dates back 2,000 years ago to the Celtic festival of Samhain
(pronounced sow-in).
• The Celts lived in Ireland, the UK, and northern France and
celebrated their new year on November 1
• Nov. 1 marked the end of summer and the harvest and the
beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often
associated with human death.
• They believed on the night before the new year, the boundary
between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred.
• On the night of Oct. 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was
believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
• During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically
consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each
other’s fortunes.
•
•
•
•
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Where did Halloween originate from?
May 13, 609 A.D.- All Martyrs Day was established
It later included saints and was moved from May 13 to Nov. 1
By the 9th century Christianity influenced the Celtic lands
In 1000- Nov. 2- All Souls’ Day was created to honor the dead
It is believed that the church was attempting to replace the Celtic
festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday
• All Souls Day was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big
bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels
and devils.
• The All Saints Day celebration was also called All-hallows or Allhallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’
Day) and the night before it, the traditional night of Samhain in the
Celtic religion, began to be called and, eventually, Halloween.
How do people typically dress on
Halloween?
What do people typically do on
Halloween?
What were jack-o-lanterns originally used for?
On all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips,
rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a
light in them to ward off evil spirits.
Why was candy originally given out?
• Irish and English traditions- Americans began to dress up in
costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a
practice that eventually became today’s “trick-or-treat” tradition.
• Between 1920-1950 Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive
way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration
• Families could prevent tricks being played on them by providing
the neighborhood children with small treats.
• The American Halloween tradition of “trick-or-treating” probably
dates back to the early All Souls’ Day parades in England.
• During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families
would give them pastries called “soul cakes” in return for their
promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives.
• The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a
way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for
roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as “going asouling” was eventually taken up by children who would visit the
houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.
Why do people wear costumes on Halloween?
• Comes from European and Celtic roots
• When winter was uncertain and frightening, food supplies
often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the
short days of winter were full of constant worry
• It was believed that ghosts came back and people thought
that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes
• To avoid being recognized by the ghosts, people wore masks
when they left their homes after dark so that ghosts would
mistake them for fellow spirits.
• To keep ghosts away from their houses, people placed bowls
of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and to
prevent them from attempting to enter.
Hazlo ahora- 9/11
En el paquete –
Common Misconceptions About
the Day of the Dead Celebrations
Common Misconceptions About the Day of the Dead Celebrations
F El día de los muertos is the Mexican version of Halloween.
1. ___
C It is not a sad ritual. It’s a day of happiness because we will be remembering
2. ___
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
our loved ones. Although when in the graveyard, people assume an introspective
attitude.
C El día de los muertos is not scary or morbid. There are no images of dead
___
people, ghosts, witches, or the devil.
C El día de los muertos is a religious ritual intermixed with folk culture. Going
___
to mass is an essential aspect of this celebration.
F El día de los muertos honors death, and not our dead relatives.
___
C Altars or ofrendas are not for worshiping but for offering our love and
___
remembering our departed family members.
C El día de los muertos is an opportunity to reflect upon our lives, our
___
heritage, our ancestors and the meaning and purpose of our own existence.
C El día de los muertos is about Love not Fear.
___
C El día de los muertos is not a “strange” ritual. It is very similar to going to a
___
grave and leaving flowers or stuffed animals, lighting a candle to remember the
dead person.
Vocabulario
El altar
El ataúd
El bizcocho
El camposanto
La calavera
La calavera de azúcar
Las catrinas
El cementerio
El cempasúchil
El cráneo
Los difuntos, los muertos
El disfraz
Los dulces
El espíritu
El esqueleto
El fantasma
Las flores
La foto
El hueso
La máscara
El mole
Las ofrendas
El papel picado
El pan de muerto
La senda / el camino
La tumba
Las velas
1. Which indigenous group influenced
El día de los muertos?
Aztecs
2. When is El día de los muertos?
November 1 and November 2
3. Who does each date honor?
• November 1- Honors dead children
• November 2- Honors dead adults
4. What did the Aztecs say about life?
It was just a dream,
only in death are we truly awake.
5. What traditions are mixed with
El día de los muertos?
Ancient Aztec traditions
with All Saints Day
6. Where are parties thrown?
Cemeteries
7. Who is La Catrina and what does
she represent?
A rich old lady, a reminder that even money
can’t keep us from death
8. What are some typical foods eaten
during El día de los muertos?
• Pan de muerto
• Sugar skulls
• Mole
9. What is a key ingredient in mole?
Chocolate
10. What do people create to honor
the dead?
Altars
11. What are “Las ofrendas”?
Las ofrendas (the offerings) are placed on the
altars. They include pictures of the deceased,
flowers, their favorite food, and anything else
they would like. The altars are decorated with
the offerings.
12. What do people decorate in the
graveyards?
Tombs
13. When is Halloween?
October 31st
14. Halloween originated from
the ancient Celtic Festival of
Samhain.
15. What do people wear on
Halloween?
Costumes
16. What were jack-o-lanterns
originally used for?
To ward off evil spirits
What is “going a-souling?”
During the festivities, poor citizens
would beg for food and families would
give them pastries called “soul cakes”
in return for their promise to pray for
the family’s dead relatives.