If you are looking for educational resources to introduce or share the holiday with your children, consider these excellent materials: | Flickr/City of Greeley/Creative Commons/Public Domain People often dress up and wear makeup to resemble Calaveras for the holiday. Some of the deceased's favorite foods and other items may also be included to honor their memory or recall their habits. Gifts of water, salt, fruits, flowers (especially marigolds), candles and more may be placed on the ofrenda. Constructed with three to seven levels, it is lovingly decorated by all family members with pictures of the ones being remembered as the focal point. Stores are filled with sugar skulls of every size, and museums proudly display their exhibits of skeleton figurines dressed as mariachis or everyday workers, such as bakers, taxi drivers or doctors.Įvery ofrenda is unique. Panaderías (bakeries) are filled with pan de muerto (bread of the dead), and florists sell out of every kind of flower, especially the cempasúchil. Instead, they are more like tributes in honor of the person who died. In the week leading up to the actual holidays, many families begin preparing their home altars - typically called ofrendas (offerings) - by purchasing food, flowers and decorations. | Flickr/m o n c h o o h c n o m/Creative Commons/Public Domain It is believed that they then find their way back home by the church bells in their hometowns or by following trails of cempasúchiles (marigolds).Ĭandy skulls represent the passing away of the person, while the colorful designs on them represent the beauty of their life. And some Indigenous people believe that the souls of their family and friends gather at major archaeological sites, such as the pyramids of Teotihuacán outside Mexico City or Monte Albán in Oaxaca. ![]() Some, for example, create beautiful displays in their homes, while others go to the cemeteries to prepare a feast and decorate the gravesites of their dearly departed. Customs may vary between towns or regions, though. ![]() Although it’s observed in several Latin American countries, it’s most closely associated with Mexico.ĭay of the Dead is a celebration and event in which people take the time to remember and honor family and friends who have passed away. 1 and 2, Día de los Muertos, as it’s called in Spanish, is a beautiful tradition that finds its roots in ancient Maya culture. | Flickr/Lisa Ann Yount/Creative Commons/Public DomainĬelebrated on Nov. ![]() Each item on the ofrenda has symbolic value.
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