Second grade students learned
about the holiday Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrated in Mexico on
November 1st and 2nd.
El Dia de los Muertos is not
the Mexican version of Halloween. Mexicans have celebrated the Day of
the Dead since the year 1800 B.C. It is not scary or morbid. There are no
pictures or images of dead people, ghosts, witches, or the devil.
This fiesta is marked by the
invitation by the living to the dead to return to their family home for a
visit. Families place photographs of their loved ones who have passed on at the
deceased’s gravesite or on a family altar. They also place offerings of
flowers, drinks and food alongside the photographs. This ritual is particularly
important for those who have been lost in the year since the previous festival,
and is a way of coming to terms with the death of someone loved and missed.
It doesn’t honor death, but
their dead relatives. It’s a time for them to reflect on their lives, heritage,
ancestors and the meaning of their existence.
It is not a sad ritual. It’s a
day of happiness because they are remembering loved ones.
The well-known Calaveras
statues depicting skeletons participating in the activities of the living- from
cooking to playing in mariachi bands- take their place on the altar, where
their comic appearance brings a smile to the faces of the grieving.
Second grade students created
their own Calaveras using art straws and collage.
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