Día de los Muertos
In honor of Día de los Muertos, third graders in Ms. Brown’s class created altars to celebrate family members and pets who have passed away. This day, also known as the ‘Day of the Dead,’ is celebrated throughout Mexico, Central America, the United States, and in other parts of the world.
Students conducted research on the history and significance of different symbols of the holidays, including marigolds, sugar skulls (calaveras de azúcar), and altars (ofrendas). In class students created the altars to help honor the person/pet’s memory. The students included photographs and mementos from the person/pet and decorated the altar with some of their loved one’s favorite things. We also decorated sugar skulls, and enjoyed Bread of the Dead (pan de muerto) which is a traditional food eaten during this time. The third graders really immersed themselves into this cultural experience and now have a greater understanding of the tradition.
