Color a Calavera!
Día de los
Muertos
What is Día de los Muertos?
Day of the Dead is a popular celebration in Mexico and in Mexican American communities
across the United States. It combines Mesoamerican traditions that honor the dead and date
back many hundreds of years with the European traditions of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Día de los Muertos is not the same as Halloween, and in fact it has a much different
understanding of death. For many Mesoamericans, including the Mexica or Aztecs, death was
understood to be part of the cycle of life, and therefore is not something to fear. When the
living move on to the afterworld, called Mictlan, there should be no tears because tears will
make the spirit’s path slippery. The spirits of loved ones are thought to visit the living during
Día de los Muertos and this is a time for joyous celebration.
How do we celebrate today?
In preparation for Día de los Muertos , it is customary for families to visit the cemetery to
clean and decorate the graves of family members while sharing stories and keeping memories
alive. Flowers like marigolds and cockscomb, sugar skulls, and pan de muerto may be used.
At home, special dishes are prepared to greet the returning
spirits of loved ones, these often include mole and tamales. An
altar or ofrenda is central to many families’ Día de los Muertos
traditions. An altar for a loved one typically includes photos, a
glass of water (for the thirsty traveler), a dish of salt (to purify
the soul), candles (to light the way to the living), flowers and
incense (to guide the spirits to the living with their scent), pan de
muerto and a favorite dish (for the hungry traveler), and skulls
(to remind us there is no life without death).
Other traditions include literary calaveras, which are poems
satirizing the living; cemetery processions; and calavera face
painting!
Courtesy the Department of Research, Exhibits, & Collections
How do you celebrate Día de los Muertos?
Words to Know
All Saint’s Day - Catholic holy day on
November 1st honoring all the saints and
children who have died
All Soul’s Day - Catholic holy day on
November 2nd to pray and hold services for
the dead
Calaca—a figure of a skeleton; they are
usually happy and sometimes shown doing
silly things
Calavera - a skull or a humorous or satirical
poem written as an imaginary obituary of a
living person
Copal - incense commonly used on
ofrendas
Memorialize - to honor the memory of
someone or something
Mesoamerican - the peoples and cultures
of the Americas before European conquest
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Ofrenda - an altar or offering to a departed
loved one
Pan de muerto - special sweet bread made
for Día de los Muertos
Satirical - describes something that
ridicules or makes fun
Sugar skulls—sugar molded into the shape
of a skull and decorated representing death
and the sweetness of life
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Tradition - a belief or custom that is
handed down from one generation to
another
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Indigenous - native; belonging to a region
or country
Fold over and place string here
Zempasuchitl (cempasúchil) - marigold
flower, the traditional flower of Día de los
Muertos. Native to the Americas, the colors
represent sunset and sunrise, the cycle of
life and death.
José Guadalupe Posada
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This famous artist and political cartoonist from Aguascalientes,
Mexico printed hundreds of calaveras (the skulls and the
poems) in the early 20th century. Today his illustrations largely
define the artistic look of Día de los Muertos. His iconic
engravings are used throughout this booklet, including his
famous Calavera Catrina, which satirizes the upper classes
while reminding us that even the wealthy must face death.
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Make Papel
Picado!
Papel picado is frequently incorporated into Día
de los Muertos decorations. It represents the
wind and the delicate nature of life. Make your
own using this pattern or your own design.
Traditional Foods for
Día de los Muertos
The dead will be hungry and thirsty from their journey to visit the living so good food
and drink is an important part of any Día de los Muertos celebration.
Pan de Muerto An eggy sweet bread often flavored with anise and topped with sugar and
colorful icing decorations. Different regions of Mexico have different traditions, but pan de muerto
is often round with a skull and crossbones on top to look like a pile of bones or shaped like a corpse.
Mole & tamales When it comes to food offerings for your Día de los Muertos altar you want to
Materials
 8.5”x11” sheets of colored tissue paper
 Scissors
 String
 Glue
give your loved ones the very best, and mole and tamales are just the thing. A small portion is put
on the altar and the rest is enjoyed by the living.
Hot chocolate, atole, and champurrado (chocolate atole) These warm, sweet, and hearty
drinks give the souls of the dead warmth and energy to refuel from their journey.
Candied pumpkin Calabaza en tacha is made from sugar pumpkins that are cooked in a sweet
syrup made from piloncillo, cinnamon, and other spices.
Instructions
1. Fold a piece of colored tissue paper in half.
2. Place the pattern on the fold as marked (you
can use pins to hold the pattern in place if
needed).
3. Cut out the outlined areas, folding as
indicated by the dotted lines and cutting
double layers in those places.
4. Fold the top of the papel picado on the
dotted line, lay the string along the fold, and
glue the tissue over the string.
5. Allow the glue to dry and hang!
Seasonal fruits Apples and oranges are always popular.
Sugar skulls Mostly decorations for
the ofrenda, sugar skulls can also be
eaten.
Where did these foods come
from?
Atole, tamales, and candied pumpkin
(sweetened with honey) were eaten in
Mexico long before the arrival of the
Spanish. The Spanish brought wheat
flour, chickens (and their eggs), sugar,
apples, and oranges among many
other foods to Mexico making some of
these favorite Día de los Muertos
dishes possible.
Who will your altar
honor?
What was their
favorite food?
What will you
put on your
altar?
The altar honors a departed loved one .
You’ll want to chose items that represent
their memory as well as items that offer
refreshment for a travel weary soul.
Atole, Champurrado, or Chocolate
Beer
Calacas
What was their
favorite drink?
Candles
Copal incense
Fruit
Marigolds
Milk
What do you
remember about
them?
A plate of mole
Other flowers
Pan de muerto
Papel picado
Personal items
Photos
Saints
Salt
Soda
Sugar skulls
Tamales
Tequila
Toys
Water