Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday celebrated November 1-2 that honors and remembers loved ones who have died. It has indigenous roots but was influenced by Catholic traditions. Families build home altars and visit cemeteries to remember deceased family and friends with food, decorations, candles, and other offerings. Common symbols include calaveras (sugar skulls), papel picado (cut paper designs), and calacas (skeleton figures). The holiday is meant to celebrate and commune with the dead, not mourn them.

1. An exploration of Mexican Culture
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

2. WHAT IS DIA DE LOS MUERTOS?
• A celebration to honor the dead and
a day of remembrance on the 1st
and 2nd of November
• A festive and joyous celebration,
not morbid.

3. WHAT IS DIA DE LOS MUERTOS?
• Days of the Dead festival in
Mexico looks scary but isn’t
at all. During the first two
days of November, friends
and family who have died are
remembered with happiness.
Celebrations take place all
over Mexico.
• There are parades, parties,
fireworks, and displays.
Everyone comes out to
celebrate and visit the
cemetaries.

4. HISTORY
• Celebrated by indigenous
cultures (such as the
Olmecs, Toltecs, Maya,
Zapotec, Mixtec and
Aztecs) possibly as long as
3000 years ago.
• The Spanish moved the
celebration to coincide with
the catholic calendar, All
Saints Day, November 2nd.

5. PRACTICES AND CELEBRATION
• Can be considered a religious holiday, usually in
rural area, but is more of a cultural celebration in
urban areas
• Altars are set up in homes honoring the dead, also
set up in other places

6. OFRENDAS
• Ofrenda means
“offering” in Spanish.
• Ofrendas are an
essential part of Day of
the Dead celebrations in
Mexico. The ofrendas
are altars or shrines that
are set up to honor the
memory and remember
those in the family that
have died. Each
classroom prepares an
ofrenda in a school, but
ofrendas can be very big
or very small.

7. • Special breads and sugar skulls are made to leave
as offerings to the dead- “Pan de Muerto”
• Many homes and public places are decorated,
skulls and skeletons are a very popular theme

8. ALTARS
• Some characteristics of altars:
• Two tiers
• Covering- cloth of some sort
May Include:
Candles
Marigolds
Incense
Salt
Photo of the deceased
Pan de muerto
Sugar skulls
Fresh fruit
Other foods
Water
Toiletries
Other Drinks
Items belonging to the deceased
Images of saints/Religious imagery
Papel Picado
Ceramics and Woven Baskets

9. ALTARS
• Should have CHARACTER and PERSONALITY
• No two look exactly the same
• Re-creates the memory of a loved one

11. PAPEL PICADO
• Decorative repeating designs cut out of
tissue paper
• Often birds, flowers, or skulls
• Designs are created by folding the paper
and using sharp scissors

14. • Families visit the graves of family members,
leaving gifts and tending to the cemetery

15. • Parades are a common practice in the
celebration and often lead to the cemetery,
costumes and puppets are commonly found

16. Dia De Los Muertos Parade in Tucson, AZ

17. Dia De Los Muertos Parade in Tucson, AZ

18. Dia De Los Muertos Parade in Tucson, AZ

19. Calaveras & Sugar Skulls
•Calaveras- masks worn to
‘mock” death
•Ornate designs and colors
•Death as a continuation of
life

20. Calaveras & Sugar Skulls
A common symbol of the holiday is the skull
(commonly called calavera). This symbol is
represented in large paper mache sculptures, called
calacas (colloquial term for "skeleton") and foods
such as sugar skulls, which are inscribed with the
name of the recipient on the forehead. Sugar skulls
are gifts that can be given to both the living and the
dead. They are very sweet to eat.

21. Calaveras & Sugar Skulls
•Ornate Line
Designs
•Patterns
•Symmetrical
•Bright Colors

22. Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

23. Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

24. Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

25. Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

26. Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

27. Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

28. Calaveras & Sugar Skulls

29. DAY OF THE DEAD DANCING SKELETONS

35. YOUR ASSIGNMENT
• You will be creating a Dia
de los Muertos altar box.
• You will use mixed media
to create: some craft
supplies and some
sculpting of air dry clay
• You will incorporate
some of the traditional
items used in the altar as
well as make it personal

39. REQUIREMENTS
• At least three skulls and/or
calaveras skeletons
• At least 5 ‘traditional’ altar items
• Something personal: this altar can
be a remembrance of someone who
has died that you know, or someone
that you don’t know (maybe a celebrity
or famous person), or even of a dog!
How will you make it personal?
Photographs? Writing? Sculpt
something that was meaningful to
them?
• Paint/Decoration on the box:
maybe pick a theme and choose your
design and material based on that
theme. NO PART OF THE BOX should
be showing
• Papel Picado
• Anything else you think would add to
your altar
Altars Video