Los Días de los Muertos/The
Days of the Dead in Mexico
November 1, All Saints Day, and
November 2, All Souls Day, are
the most important holidays of
the year in Mexico, especially in
rural areas. It is a joyful time of
remembrance, reunion, and feasting, as families gather together to
honor their loved ones who have
died. Los Días de los Muertos is
not somber, morbid, or macabre.
In the United States, misconceptions sometimes arise about Los Días
de los Muertos because of differing
cultural attitudes about death, the
misinterpretation of the meaning
of symbolic objects such as altars,
skeletons, and skulls, and the concurrent dates of the celebration
with Halloween. In Mexican culture
there is a philosophical acceptance
of death as an integral part of the
cycle of life.
Objectives
Students will:
• Understand that Los Días de
los Muertos are days when
people honor and remember
their loved ones who have
died.
• Create an accurately articulated skeleton and dress it
in a humorous fashion.
Nancy Walkup teaches art at W.S. Ryan
Elementary School in Denton, Texas.
nwalkup@verizon.net
NATIONAL STANDARD
Students use visual structures and
functions of art to communicate
ideas.
WEB LINK
www.azcentral.com/ent/dead
Materials
• 6 x 18" ( 15 x 46 cm) black
construction paper
• white Art Straws, white
paper straws, or strips of
white construction paper
• assorted colors of construction paper scraps
• markers
• scissors
• glue
Left: Grant, grade four.
Middle: Tony, grade four.
Right Connor, grade four.
