The Day of the Dead celebration incorporates foods, art forms, and traditions from both indigenous Mexican cultures and Catholic tradition. Foods unique to the holiday include Pan de Muerto bread and Calabaza en Tacha pumpkin dessert. Art forms include the Danza de los Viejitos dance and skull masks. The holiday blends aspects of Aztec rituals honoring the dead with All Saints Day traditions introduced by the Spanish. The dead are remembered through ofrendas or offerings left on graves and home altars, including photos, candles, flowers, toys, bottles of alcohol, and the deceased's favorite foods. Celebrants attract and honor the dead through ofrendas, dances, and dressing up to resemble the deceased

1. Sonia Nguyen Sp2h 3rd 11/2/12
The foods Pan De Muerto Calabaza en Tacha Piloncillo
List at least 3 foods used in this
holiday that are not common to any (Day of the Dead (Sweet Pumpkin), a dessert dark sugar cones
other holiday. Include descriptions, bread), made with prepared with pumpkin,
flour, butter, sugar, Treats for the dead
recipes and how the food is cinnamon
eggs, orange peel, anise
significant.
and yeast. The bread is Treats for the dead
adorned with strips of
dough simulating bones
and at the top a small
round piece of dough
that symbolizes
teardrops
The arts Dancing Flowers Skull masks
List at least 3 art form used in this
The Danza de los Viejitos, cempasúchil flower; this "when we wear masks,
holiday that are not common to any
Dance of the Old Men, orange marigold was the our true identity is
other holiday. Include descriptions, representative dance of
pictures, drawings and how they are flower that the Aztecs used to hidden" Other people
this region. In pre-
unique to Day of the Dead. remember their dead by. Its go dressed as living
Hispanic times this dance
was performed as a ritual
color represents the tones of skeletons with dark
honoring the Sun. earth and is used to guide the clothes and painted
Pescado Blanco, White souls to their homes and white faces. As they
Fish, through which the altars. walk, families and
inhabitants individuals remember
of Janitzio express their the dead and mourn
gratitude to the lake, together.
since fishing is their most
important economical
activity.
The history and beginnings of The fact that this The people took some culture In the pre-Hispanic era,
the holiday tradition falls on or blended with the Aztecs. skulls were commonly
List at least 3 aspects of the history Halloween is no kept as trophies and
of Day of the Dead. Include what coincidence. When the Aztecs displayed during the
cultures blended to contribute.
Spanish conquered The dances they performed rituals to symbolize
Mexico celebrating the had a highly religious death and rebirth.
dead was so deeply meaning, which is why it was
rooted that they very important to
incorporated it into execute every step with
their "All Saints Day." exactness. They also had
Differing from the more dances for their own
somber holiday enjoyment, more personal in
imposed by the nature, in which they danced
Catholics, the pre- for personal or familial
Hispanic Day of the events. The poinsettia, a
EHS Foreign Language Dept. 11/7/12

2. Dead is a happy event, legend says that a poor child,
where death takes on a a mother had no money for a
friendly aspect, as gift as he wished. So sad to
joyful as a visit from an see him, the way weeds
old friend. became bright red flowers
and green. The call also "call
sheet". And for the Aztecs this
plant was a symbol of purity,
there are white, red and pink.
The festival that became the
modern Day of the Dead fell
in the ninth month of
the Aztec calendar, about the
beginning of August, and was
celebrated for an entire
month. The festivities were
dedicated to the goddess
known as the "Lady of the
Dead"
How the dead are remembered Toys are brought for bottles Families will also offer
and honored dead children of tequila, mezcal or pulque or trinkets or the
List at least 3 ways the dead are jars of atole for adults deceased's favorite
remembered and honored during candies on the grave.
this time. The ofrendas are left
out in the homes as a
welcoming gesture for
the deceased
How the dead are attracted and In most regions of Mexico, In some locations, celebrants some will also dress up
why November 1 is to honor wear shells on their clothing, as the deceased.
List at least 3 methods used to children and infants, so when they dance, the noise
will wake up the dead
attract the dead and why they are whereas deceased adults
used. Include why the date of the are honored on
November 2. This is
holiday is important.
indicated by generally
referring to November 1
mainly as Día de los
Inocentes ("Day of the
Innocents") but also
as Día de los
Angelitos ("Day of the
Little Angels") and
November 2 as Día de los
Muertos or Día de los
Difuntos ("Day of the
Dead")
EHS Foreign Language Dept. 11/7/12

3. CONSIDERING WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE DAY OF THE DEAD “Ofrendas” (altars), you will create a
detailed altar on poster board for a famous Hispanic. Write a detailed description of the items on and around the altar, and
the reason that each item would appear on their altar.
Planning/check list:
Cultural aspects of the “Ofrendas”:
o foto o dibujo de: ______________________________________
o velas
o flores usadas en los altares comunes
o sus comidas favoritas ____________________________________________________________
o sus bebidas favoritas ___________________________________________________________
o sus pasatiempos y preferencias
o Calaveras
o ¿Qué artículos considera importante para que estén en la “Ofrenda”?
Your product will be embedded on your wiki page. This is choice to do in groups of 2
or on your own. Due end of day Monday, uploaded and embedded. Use your skydrive.
Rúbrica
Puntos a recibir Puntos recibidos
Nombre completo del personaje y su foto 15
Velas 5
Flores 5
Calaveras 10
Comidas y bebidas 15
Intereses 15
Artículos de importancia 20
Colorido y creativo 15
Nota final 100
EHS Foreign Language Dept. 11/7/12