Dacey Presnell

Spanish III

Profesora Gutierrez

20 May 2024

Día de Los Muertos Project

As my class and I began the second quarter, we started a project involving Mexico´s

culture. Día de Los Muertos is a celebration of the dead, lasting from the 1st to the 2nd of

November. As we researched what the celebration was, we began recording short videos on a

website called ¨Flip” to showcase our progress in pronunciation of the Spanish language and

knowledge of Mexico’s culture. Día de Los Muertos is celebrated all over Latin America, but

mainly in Mexico. For this project, my class and I were split into groups. My group consisted of

three other people, allowing us to divide the work evenly and work at a steady pace. We chose to

make an ofrenda in honor of Frida Khalo, a famous Mexican artsit. My group and I brainstormed

what items we would need for the ofrenda and who would bring it in. We then created an ofrenda

with three levels, which represented Earth, the underworld, and heaven. We put items on the first

level that showcased who Frida Khalo was when she was alive, like paintbrushes, paint, scents,

flower petals, a carpet, food, and water. For the second level, we included items to represent the

underworld, like skulls, candles, a cross, and more flower petals to help guide her to heaven,

which was our third level. On the highest level, we put another cross, a picture of Frida Khalo, a

paintbrush, cutout paper designs, and more flower petals. Once we finished building the ofrenda

and piecing it together, we created a list of the different materials we used and their purpose.

Once everything was completed, we started practicing for our presentation, which we gave

shortly after Día de Los Muertos had passed.

 By the end of the project, I understood the revealance of Día de Los Muertos and how

important it is in Mexican culture. While finishing the project, I realized that my group and I did

really well collaborating and communicating. I was also able to use my organization and time

management skills to improve our productivity and outcome of the ofrenda. My gorup and I

worked well together, making sure to hold each other accountable for what each person was

assigned to and helping one another out when needed. If I could change anything about this

project, I would have printed out the pictures we used in color rather than blank and white.

Besides this detail, I would not change anything else we did. I feel as though my group did a

wonderful job working together and creating a beautiful ofrenda for Frida Khalo.

While working on this project, I realized the importance of this celebration. Not only

does this event recognize deceased loved ones, but it helps keep them in everyone’s memories

and shows the importance of life. I will use my knowledge of Día de Los Muertos to educate

others and be inclusive for those celebrating this less common event in the United States. I love

this holiday because I feel as though the celebration of the deceased is a better way of

remembering them, rather than mourning them. I hope to make an impact on others by educating

and celebrating this holiday, allowing others to join me and help bring awareness to Mexico’s

culture.