Nombre_____________________________ Fecha _________/___________/____________

Un artículo sobre el Día de los Muertos

Estudiante A- Lee esta información y subraya la información importante

El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a festival celebrated on November 2nd
by people in Mexico, parts of Central and South America, and increasingly throughout
the United States. Day of the Dead is not a sad or scary occasion, but a spirited holiday
when people remember and honor family members who have died. All of this is part of
the philosophy that death is not something to be feared, but a natural part of life.

People start getting ready for the celebration on the third week of October with the
harvesting of the cempasuchitl flower, or marigold- also known as the flower of the
twenty petals or the flower of the dead which is sold in the market place or Tianguis,
where the family goes to buy everything that they will need to put on the altar.

On the altar they will place the ofrendas of fruits, vegetables and the special dishes
prepared for the soul to enjoy the essence of the aroma of the food. This altar will also
have items that once belonged to the deceased. During this time of year, it is also very
common to see images of skeletons dancing or doing other comical things.

On November 1st in many towns the ritual of the Vigil of the Little Angels takes
place in the cemeteries. On November 2nd, the souls of the adults are honored in their
homes with beautifully decorated altars. The celebration concludes in many towns with
a vigil in the cemetery. In some places the vigil is done during the whole night of
November 1st to November 2nd. Whichever way this day is celebrated, Day of the Dead
is a time of reflection about the meaning of life and the mission that one needs to fulfill.

Información cortesía de:http://www.dayofthedead.com/ &

http://latino.si.edu/dayofthedead/

Preguntas para mi amigo(a) para aprender más sobre el Día de los Muertos
Preguntas Respuestas
1. What do families commonly do Clean headstones of their love ones and
during this celebration? decorating with flower and bringing food and
music.
2. Where does this celebration Mexico
originate?

3. What is one indigenous belief? Mayans and Aztec

4. What is death seen as in this culture? death is transcendence, transformation and

resurrection.
5. Why did the Spaniards change the to coincide with All Souls’ Day of the Catholic
date of the indigenous celebration? Church

Nombre_____________________________ Fecha _________/___________/____________

 Un artículo sobre el Día de los Muertos

Estudiante B- Lee esta información y subraya la información importante

Mexico celebrates a yearly tradition called Day of the Dead during the last days of
October and the first days of November. During this time families visit the graves of
their loved ones, cleaning the headstones, and decorating with flowers, and bringing
food and music

The roots of Day of the Dead are pre-Colombian, and many of the symbols and
practices are derived from the indigenous groups of Meso America (Maya and Aztec,
e.g.). The legacy of past civilizations is seen on this occasion through people’s beliefs that
death is a transition from one life to another in different levels where communication
exists between the living and the dead.

The Day of the Dead in Mexico is not a mournful commemoration but a happy and
colorful celebration where death takes a lively, friendly expression. Indigenous people
believed that souls did not die, that they continued living in Mictlan, a special place to
rest. In this place, the spirits rest until the day they could return to their homes to visit
their relatives. Before the Spaniards arrived, they celebrated the return of the souls
between the months of July and August. Once arrived, the Spaniards changed the
festivities to November 2nd to coincide with All Souls’ Day of the Catholic Church.

Death in many situations imparts a feeling of pain and loss, particularly for those
who do not know the purpose of their path on this earthly plane. For others, death is
transcendence, transformation and resurrection. During the celebration of Day of the
Dead all those feelings and beliefs come together in a season that brings to life the
memory of the loved ones.

Información cortesía de: http://www.dayofthedead.com/ &

http://latino.si.edu/dayofthedead/

Preguntas para mi amigo(a) para aprender más sobre el Día de los Muertos
Preguntas Respuestas
1. What dates is el Día de los Muertos Nov 2nd
celebrated?

2. Where is it celebrated? Mexico

3. What activities do families do on this Put food on the alter light candles and harvest
day? flowers.

4. What is the purpose of the light of
the candle and the scent of the flowers?
5. What is celebrated on November 1st?
On the 2nd?
The light of the candle and scent of the flowers
are said to attract the souls of the deceased and
draw them back for a short time to take part in
the pleasures they once enjoyed in life.
El Día de los Muertos