El día de los muertos
“Life is but a dream. It is only when we
die, that we can truly live.”
La muerte = death
“The word ‘death’ is not pronounced
in New York, in Paris, in London,
because it burns the lips. The
Mexican, in contrast, is familiar with
death, jokes about it, caresses it; it is
one of his favorite toys and most
steadfast love.
-Octavio Paz
“ Una sociedad que niega la muerte, niega la vida “
(“A society that denies death, denies life”)
“Don’t’ fear dying. Fear never having lived.” -Anonymous
La historia
•3,000 year old tradition, some suspect
it may even trace back 5,000 years!
• Can be traced back to the Aztecs and
beyond
•More than 500 years ago, when the
Spanish Conquistadors landed in what
is now Mexico, they saw native Indians
practicing a ritual that seemed to
mock death.
•The best way to describe this Mexican
holiday is to say that it is a time when
Mexican families remember their dead,
and the continuity of life.
La creencia = the belief
•It is believed that during the days of November
1st and 2nd, spirits have been granted Divine
consent to visit with their relatives and friends
on Earth.
• Beginning in mid-October, families prepare to
welcome the souls of their relatives and
ancestors who return at this time of year to
make sure that all is well and that they have
not been forgotten.
• Celebrations at home include family dinners,
trips to the grave sites, “ofrendas” (or
offerings), flowers, folk art, special foods, and
candies.
Halloween vs. Día de los muertos
Halloween
Día de los muertos
•Night before
“All Saint’s Day”
(October 31)
•All Saint’s Day and the day after
(November 1st and 2nd)
•November 1st = los angelitos
(children’s spirits) return home
•November 2nd = adult spirits
return home
•Evil Spirits roam the earth.
We dress our children in
“scary” costumes so
the spirits won’t take them.
•No costumes.
•Not an “evil” holiday.
•It is a celebration of
life and death.
•All negative representations of
death/terror.
•Positive celebrations of family,
ancestors, life, and community.
•Very humorous look at life.
Music and Dance
The dancers carry calacas (artistic
skeletons), pretending that the souls are
visiting and doing a dance.
The drums are the most important part
of the music associated with the
supernatural to cause vitality and
rhythm.
Las Calacas
• Skeletons are often shown in
everyday activities which depict
a dead person’s profession or
interests.
Calacas
Calacas are skeletons used by
dancers and are always used for the
decoration of the Offering and on
fireplaces. They are made by artists
and are sold for decoration.
Calacas
La Catrina
• Represents death (now)
• Was created by Jose
Guadelupe Posada
• Notice: feminine form &
beautiful decorations
Catrina
Catrina is the most recognizable symbol for
Day of the Dead. She is now a calacas and
was painted by José Guadalupe Posada, a
famous artist from Mexico.
Works of José Guadalupe
Posada
Mas Calacas
Las ofrendas
•Altars are set up at homes and at grave sites.
• Think: Memorials
• The most basic altar includes these basic needs:
– WATER to quench the thirst and for purification
– SALT to season the food and for purification
– BREAD to represent the food needed for survival
• Most altars also have:
– Flowers
– Pictures
– Favorite foods/drinks
– Candy
– Water
– Religious symbols, art, or images (crosses, etc.)
En el cementerio
La comida
• Pan de los Muertos
– Special loaves of
bread are baked,
called pan de
muertos, and
decorated with
"bones.
Mole
-meat dishes in
spicy sauces
Mas comida
Tamales
-packets of corn dough
with a savory or sweet
filling and typically
wrapped in corn husks or
banana leaves.
Atole de leche
-A warm almost porridge-like
drink made thick with masa.
Los Alfeñiques = Sugar Skulls
•CANDIES:
•Skulls and skeletons are made
out of candy.
•Names: living or dead
El arte folklórico = Folk Art
• Common activities and events
represented with “skeletal”
images
• Albrijes = imaginary creatures
Muralismo- (muralism)
• A mural is a painting applied to and made
integral with the surface of a wall or ceiling.
• Muralism has existed since prehistoric times.
• Diego Rivera is the most famous Latino
Muralist of the 20th century.
• One of his most famous murals is titled
“El dia de los muertos”
El día de los muertos
- Diego Rivera
El día de los muertos
Celebración y festejo
•Because of the warm social
environment, the colorful setting, and the
abundance of food, drink and good
company this commemoration of the
dead is a pleasant one despite of its
morbid subject.
•The festive interaction between living
and dead in an important social ritual and
a way of recognizing the cycle of life and
death, in other words, human existence.
Una poema más
Es calavera el inglés,
calavera el italiano,
calavera fue el francés,
lo mismo Maximiliano.
El Pontífice Romano
y todos los cardenales,
reyes, duques, concejales
y el jefe de la nación.
En la tumba son iguales:
calaveras del montón.
Proyecto del Dia de los Muertos
• Color your CALACA to represent yourself.
Your favorite sport. Make it colorful.
•Insert an image of your favorite athlete in the
sport ON THE HAT.
•Draw and/or Insert images about your sport
on pants of your calaca.
•Write a paragraph of 10 sentences or more IN
SPANISH, stating what your favorite sport is,
why you like it, if you prefer to play it or watch
it, who your favorite athlete in this sport and
why.
DUE ON THURSDAY, NOV. 1