El Día de los

Muertos
The Day of the Dead
 ¿Qué es?
 What is it?
 Los Días de los Muertos, the Day
of the Dead, is a traditional
Mexican holiday honoring the dead.
Los Días de los Muertos is not a
sad time, but instead a time of
remembering and rejoicing.
 When is it?
 It is celebrated every year at the
same time as Halloween and the
Christian Holy days of All Saints’
Day and All Souls’ Day (November
 ¿Qué es?
 Where is it celebrated?
 It is celebrated in Mexico,
Ecuador, Guatemala, and other
areas in Latin America populated
with the Latino ethnic background.
`e Day of the Dead is also
celebrated in areas of the United
States, such as California, Texas,
and many others, in which the
Mexican-American heritage exists.
 Origins:
 It has origins rooted in the
ancient Aztec and Mayan traditions
 Tradiions: Altars
 In the homes families
arrange altars, or
ofrendas, with
flowers, bread, fruit,
and candles. Pictures
of the deceased family
members are added. In
the late afternoon
special all-night
burning candles are
lit: it is time to
remember the departed—
the old ones, their
parents and
grandparents.
 Altars should include:
 A picture of the one
being remembered
 Items they were fond
 Traditions: Food
 Pan de Muertos
 Special loaves of bread are baked,
called pan de muertos, and decorated
with bones.
 Traditions: Cemetery
 The Graveyard
 Families clean and decorate the
gravesites of deceased loved ones. They
even sing songs and drink in their
honor.
 Traditions: Flowers
 During los Dias de
los Muertos the
yellow marigold,
called cempasúchil in
Spanish, symbolizes
the short duration of
life.
 Other flowers
commonly seen during
this celebration
include the white
amaryllis, wild
orchids, baby's
breath and ruby
coxcombs. They are
 Traditions: Papel Picado

 Papel Picado is a traditional

art used to decorate homes,
businesses, markets and
altars in preparation for the
Day of the Dead.
 The thin tissue paper
images are usually cut in
large quantities and hung in
repetitious patterns.
 Traditions: Skeletons
 Skeletons and skulls are found
everywhere. The skulls, called
calaveras, are usually made from
sugar, chocolate, or marzipan.
 Handmade skeleton figurines, called
calacas, are especially popular.
Calacas usually show an active and
joyful afterlife. Figures of
musicians, generals on horseback,
even skeletal brides, in their
white bridal gowns marching down
the aisles with their boney grooms.