Day of the Dead Anticipation Guide

1. Open up Microsoft Word to type the answers . You will eventually e-mail your completed work to rosa.bowen@austinisd.org Answer question.

2. Day of the Dead Anticipation Guide Before reading through the ppt., read these ten sentences and based on what you think write true or false on the left hand margin of your paper. This is done to determine what you know before reading.

3. El día de los muertos, the Day of the Dead, dates back to before the Spaniards landed in what is now Mexico. The Conquistadors encountered natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death. The Conquistadors tried to eradicate the ritual. Think about what you know about the Spaniards at this period in time. Why do you think they would do this? Texate, an ancient Oaxaca market drink.

4. This ritual is celebrated throughout Latin America. In Mexico, people put on skull masks called calacas and dance in honor of their dead relatives. Sugar skulls, made with the dead person’s name on the forehead, are made and eaten by a relative or a friend. The skull symbolizes death and rebirth. They may look spooky, but skulls are a symbol of life and regeneration in Mexico. These calacas were created by Zarco Guerrero. A street vendor in Mixquic, Mexico prepares a candy skull, decorated with seeds and chocolate from the region. The candy skulls are an important part of the Dia de los Muertosaltars.

5. The traditional belief is that the dead relatives visit during this ritual and that death is a continuation of life. Instead of fearing death, they embraced it. To them, life was a dream and only in death did they become truly awake. Preparing the graves of loved ones that have passed.

6. Watch Calaveritas found on the Videos section of the website

7. To make the ritual more Christian, the Spaniards moved it so that it coincided with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day (Nov 1 and 2) which is when it is celebrated today. Previously it was celebrated at the beginning of August and was celebrated the entire month. The day of the dead is celebrated differently depending on where you go. This Ofrenda inside a hotel in Taxco, Mexico shows some blending of the U.S. celebration of Halloween and the traditional Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead.

9. In some parts of Mexico, people visit the cemetery where their loved ones are buried. They decorate gravesites with marigold flowers and candles. They bring toys for children and the loved one’s favorite food. A burro is loaded down with marigolds for the Dia de los Muertos celebration in a village in Mexico.

10. In some parts of the US and in Mexico’s larger cities, families build altars in their homes, dedicating them to the dead. They surround these altars with flowers, food, and pictures of their loved ones. They light candles, make their favorite food, and burn incense. This Ofrenda (or alter) is decorated for the Mexican Dia De los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) celebration. This Ofrenda was placed outside a store front in Taxco, Mexico. Grade school students at CristobolColón school in Mixquic, Mexico, bring their home-made altars to be displayed at the school.

11. Day of the Dead Anticipation Guide You have finished reading about the history of the Day of the Dead. Revisit these 10 questions and answer on the right hand side of your paper based on what you read.

12. Watch Celebration found in the Video section of the website.

13. You may be familiar with this image. It’s artisit, José Guadalupe Posada, was one of the first artists to provide inexpensive and expressive art of everyday themes to the common people of Mexico. During this time (late 1800’s) people who were unable to read were captivated by Posada’s illustrations. Some of his most famous works depict natural disasters, political intrigue, crime, and folk tales. Image of well-dressed female skeleton is today know as “Catrina”

14. The calaveras of Posada are his most recognized work today. People adorn their Days of the Dead altars with his images and cut them into their papelpicado banners. Today these images remind us that in death all stations of life become equal.

15. El senor

16. El gato

17. El español

18. El revolucionario mexicano

19. Watch Viva found in the Video section of the website.

20. Create a Ven Diagram comparing the two holidays.

21. http://zachary-jones.com/zambombazo/carteles-dia-de-muertos/ Hay dos página. Haz click en el 2. Ve a estapágina web y mira los carteles (posters) del Día de los Muertos. Escoge (choose) cuatrocarteles y llena (fill out) el siguiente (following) papel. Hint: Idioma – language Como - How

25. The previous two slides are results from telephone call interviews of Mexican households. Answer the following questions in English about the results. How do people see death? How do people view the Day of the Dead? How much do people usually spend on altars? How many people participated in the interviews? How many people set up altars? What decorations are used the most? Which gender spends more? What decorations are used the least? When the think of Day of the Dead, what do they envision (picture in their head)? Which gender sees death as sad?

26. Last, pick an activity to do. You can make your own representation of José Guadalupe Posada skull. Make your own poster of the day of the dead. Color and caption a visual representation of Día de los Muertos