The holiday season is soon approaching, which means one of my favorite holidays is just around the corner. El Día de Muertos. Since I was little, going to school in Mexico, I looked forward to the day we would celebrate and honor the lives of our loved ones who left before us. Every aspect of it was a magical portal to the land of the death, where those blessed souls have a chance to come and visit us and see themselves remembered for who they were and what they liked earth side. That’s how I saw it and made it that much more important.
So many elements made this day special and memorable in my childhood: the ofrenda, las calaveritas literarias, the food, and honoring our loved ones with every good intention at the top of the list. The Day of the Death has grown more and more popular in the United States, and whether your ancestors celebrated this day or not, I invite you to learn more about it and embrace the traditions that align the most with your family. Seek resources like the ones available through the American Latino Museum’s Day of the Dead offering a learning kit with many activities you can follow.
Here are four areas you can explore and continue to celebrate this holiday or introduce it to your little ones. Pick what works best, and remember, even small fun activities make long-lasting memories.
1. Arts & Crafts
Bring out the art supplies and a few free printables to fill your house with color and imagination. The Day of the Death is a celebration of life permeated by colorful flowers, meals, clothing, and papel picado. Pick your favorites or do them all.
2. Sweets & Treats
What better way to bring in the kids into the celebration than with fun, simple, and delicious treats they can help make!
- DIY Edible Calavera Ornaments
- White Chocolate Sugar Skulls
- Day of the Dead Marshmallow Sugar Skull Pops
3. Altar de Muertos
You don’t need to go all out to create your own shrine. Print out pictures of your relatives who are deeply loved and remembered even after death, and take an opportunity to talk about their lives. Their likes and dislikes, their profession, any nicknames, and fun stories to paint a clear picture of who they were. Then look for the resource that matches your time and effort to create something of your own. Here are a few for you to pick from, or mix them up. Make sure to learn more about each of the elements that represent the holiday.
- Dia de Muerto Nichos
- Key elements and descriptions
- 10 Step tutorial to build your own altar
- Detailed background and history of Dia de Muertos Altar
4. Calaveritas Literarias
Might not be as popular in the United State but back in Mexico they were my favorite part. Calaveritas literarias, which translates to literary skulls, are poems written playfully as satirical, light-hearted verses making fun of death or family members. They could also be focused on a famous character or relatives if it’s shared amongst family members, and they would describe the person through their adventure being taken by the many names given to Death, like La Calaca, La Flaca, or La Catrina. Often, ending in a failed attempt and the main character triumphantly getting away from La Muerte.
You can learn more about it and even write your own as I try to do every now and then. Make it a family activity and collaborate to write something together. Here are more details and directions on how to do them.
Embracing All Parts of Life
Although the focus is on a difficult period for our families, it helps to give meaning to the living and the legacy we treasure. I know thinking about my relatives during these festivities makes it a more joyful and caring experience. Like remembering how my bisabuelo Pascual had a nickname for all his grand and great-grand kids, I imagined it was because there were too many and he couldn’t remember our actual names. Or how mi Tío Miguel was the life of the party at holidays, and even thinking of my in-laws, like Doña Herminia making homemade tortillas for our firstborn. Those loving memories make our family members more special and well-deserving of celebration.
