Day of the Dead

Da de los muertos
* Day of the Dead is a
Mexican tradition that
blends Catholic rituals
with the pre-Hispanic
belief that the dead
return once a year
from the underworld.
* Now observed by
Catholic communities
around the world,
thousands of people
celebrate the festival
reuniting the living with
the dead on November
1 and 2.
The November 2 "Dia
de Muertos," or All Souls'
Day interweaves
Spanish influences with
indigenous ancestor
worship in Latin America,
especially in
Mexico, Peru, Bolivia
and Ecuador, which
have large indigenous
populations.
* InMexico, people build Day of the
Dead Altars in their homes & in the
cemetaries. Burning incense and
candles they adorn the displays
with candy skulls, marigolds,
chocolate coffins, papier-mache
skeletons and photographs of the
deceased. They also offer up their
dead relative's favorite food and
remember their vices, such as
cakes, tequila and cigarettes, to
entice them to return. Marigolds are
known as the "flower of the dead."
Their scent is believed to attract the
souls and draw them back.
 Embracing Death for Day of the Dead
The indigenous people, pre-Hispanic people, viewed
death as the continuation of life. The pre-Hispanic people
embrace death; thus, they idealized it thinking thats when
they would be truly awake. Moreover, death was
embraced, not feared. For example, they did not
separate death from pain, wealth from poverty like the
Western cultures have done.
The Day of the Dead is a celebration of loved ones who have already
died. It has evolved from a ritual that the Aztecs started, who werent
afraid of death. Thus, the holiday involves some props that have death-
related meanings. Skulls are the most conspicuous decoration that
honors the dead.
Using Skulls for Dia de Los Muertos:
The Aztecs and many other Meso-American
civilizations kept skulls, which symbolize death and
rebirth, displayed them for others to observe. The
skulls were utilized to honor the dead, whom were
thought would come back to visit the Day of the
Dead ritual. The sugar skulls, which are made in
many sizes and colors are displayed over the Day of
the Dead holiday as a symbolic nod to the traditional
past.
Feliz da de los muertos!
 Your objective
Draw an extremely detailed Day of the
Dead style design on the skull you will
draw along with your teacher.
You are to include tight patterns traditional
to the holiday/celebration.
Draw them lightly first b/c you are only
receiving one large sheet of paper for the
design process. You will be adding color
and shading with pen later, just work on
your detailed designs for now.