Day of the Dead

Photo: A. Belanger

Glittery skulls at El Cortex Restaurant in Edmonton

SONGS:

Here are some fun songs I found about Dia De Lost Muertos (in both Spanish and English):

Dia de los Muertos or day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and other places in Latin America on November 1st and 2nd.

It is a day to honour and celebrate relatives and friends who have died. It is a blend of Aztec and Spanish traditions in which families celebrate the lives of their deceased love ones with food and parties so as to not insult the dead by mourning. Death is a recognized part of the human experience and just as births are celebrated, so to is death. You can try this Theme Day on November 1st or during the Halloween month of October if you want to focus on the skeleton theme, or you can add this to your Mexico Theme Day as further international education.

Print out the Family Theme Day Planner and decide which activities you’d like to do and in what order.

INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSION:

Warning! Remember, you know your children best!

Some kids may be too young to have this Theme Day or they may be very sensitive and thinking about the death of loved ones may upset them. If your kids are like that maybe pass up on this Theme Day. We have many other International and Halloween Family Theme Days to choose from: http://www.familythemedays.com/all-themes.html

For other children, this is an opportunity to talk about death and the traditions in your family and culture and also those of other cultures. It is also presents an opportunity to talk about loved ones who have passed away. You can take out old photo albums and reminisce about family and friends. Telling stories keeps their memory alive.

In Mexico families will visit and decorate graveyards with flowers and skeletons. The dead are honoured in this celebration. For more information for to see some wonderful photographs check here: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/dia-de-los-muertos/

Dia de los Muertos

Photo: A. Belanger