~Halloween & Day of the Dead~

By: Lakin & Jordan<3

~History of Day of the Dead~

~diá de los muertos~

More than 500 years ago, Spanish Conquistadors landed in what is

now Mexico. The Spanish Conquistadors encountered

natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death.

~Altars~

In rural Mexico, some people visit the cemetery where their loved ones are

buried and others stay home. No matter where they are they honor their loved ones who have passed by decorating altars and gravesites. They bring toys

(for the deceased children), tequila (for the deceased adults), and sit on picnic blankets while eating favorite foods of

their loved ones.

~Decorations for the Altars~

*adornos*

copal

marigolds Candle holder

~Day of the Dead Costumes~

The townspeople dress up as ghouls, ghosts, mummies and skeletons and parade through the town carrying an

open coffin.The "corpse" within smiles as it is

carried through the narrow streets of town. The local vendors toss oranges

inside as the procession makes its way past their markets.

~Calaveras~

Calaveras are sugar skulls that symbolize life and death. Sugar

represents sweetness of life, and the skull represents sadness of death.

= Sweetness of life

= sadness of death

~History of Halloween~

2,000 years ago, the Celts celebrated New Year’s on November 1st. They believed that on New Year’s

Eve (October 31st) the boundary between the living and the dead

became blurred.

~Celts~

• During the New Year’s Celebration, the Celts wore animal skins and heads as

costumes.

~Turning Point of Halloween~

Christianity (Pope Boniface IV) turned the celebration into a day to honor the dead. The name All-Hallows Eve

was then changed to Halloween. They would have bonfires, parades,

and dressed up in costumes.

~Trick or Treating~

The tradition of Trick or Treating dates back to the early “All Soul’s Day” parades in England. During the

festivals, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them

pastries called “soul cakes”. In return, they promised to pray for the

family’s dead relatives.

~Costumes~

Costumes came into play when the citizens thought the ghosts came

down to Earth on Halloween night, so they would put on costumes and

masks to trick the ghosts into thinking they were fellow spirits.

~Vocabulary Words~

• Cempasuchil: Marigold (flower with 400 lives)

• Calavera: Skull (sugar)

• Ofrenda: offering/alter• Diá de los muertos: day of the dead• Adornos: decorations

~Work Cited Page~

• www.dayofthedead.com• www.history.com/topics/halloween• www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/photos/

altar.html