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DiadelosMuertosLessonCreatedbyArtinAction
ArtinActionisa501(c)(3)nonprofitorganization
dedicatedtobringingarttochildrenforover30years
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Background:DiadelosMuertos(DayoftheDead)
• DiadelosMuertos,or“DayoftheDead,”isaMexicanholidaycelebratedinearly
Novemberwherefamiliesremembertheirlovedoneswhohavepassedaway.Theholidayisnotasadone,butratheralivelyfestivaltocelebratethosewhohavedied.
• Theholidayhasancientrootsinindigenouscultures,especiallyAztec,butitwasblendedwithCatholictraditionswhentheSpanisharrivedinwhatisnowMexico.Today,peopleintheUSandotherpartsofLatinAmericacelebrateDiadelosMuertos,butitisstillmostcloselytiedtoMexico.
• Traditionally,Mexicanfamiliesvisitthegravesitesofrelativesonthisday.They
cleanthegraves—pullingweeds,sweepingup,anddecoratingwithcandlesandflowers.Familiesoftenbringgifts,suchfood,tohonortheirlovedones,andsitaroundthegravestogether,inordertofeelclosetothosewhohavedied.
• TheartofDiadelosMuertosisbrightandcolorful,muchlikethefestivalitself.
Vibranttissuepaper,brightflowers,andcolorfulfabricsdecoratehomemadealtarsthatfamiliesmakefortheholiday.
• ArtwithskeletonsandskullsisverycommonforDiadelosMuertos.Sugarskullsin
particularareoneofthemostwellknownimagesassociatedwiththeholiday.Whitesugarispressedintoskull-shapedandhardened.Oncedry,theskullsaredecoratedwithcolorfulicingdesigns.
• TherearemanybooksaboutDiadelosMuertoswrittenforelementaryschool
students.Someofthesechildren’sbooksincludeUncleMonarchandtheDayoftheDead,byJudyGoldman&ReneKingMoreno,RositayConchita,byEricGonzales&ErichHaeger,TheDayoftheDead/ElDiadelosMuertos,byBobBarner,andDayoftheDead,byTonyJohnston&JeanetteWinter.
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ArtDiscussion:DiadelosMuertos
Whydopeoplecreatethesedecorations?DiadelosMuertosisaholidayforpeopletocelebratetheirlovedoneswhohavedied.Familiesmakeartofdifferenttypestodecoratethegravesofrelativesaswellasaltarshonoringthedead.TheartofDiadelosMuertosischaracterizedbyvibrantcolors,skullsandskeletons,andflowers.Whatdoescolortellusaboutthisholiday?EventhoughDiadelosMuertosisaholidayaboutthedead,brightcolorsletusknowthatitisahappycelebration.Vibrantlycoloredblue,pink,andgreentissuepaperisfestiveandseemstocreateenergy.Familiesbringbouquetsoffieryorangeandyellowflowers,calledmarigolds,tothegravesoftheirlovedones.Peopleareattractedtobrightcolors,andsotheymakeuswanttolookatthedecorations.Howdoshapeandlineonthesugarskullsmakethemseemalive?Blossomingflowersandcurlingshapescreatemovementacrossthesurfaceoftheskulls.Thesebright,intricatedecorationsalmostmakeitseemlikethereislifewithintheskulls.Skullsrepresentdeath,buttheirlivelydesignsremindusthatthisisnotatimetobesad,buttocelebrateinstead.Dotheskullslookrealistic?Weknowthatrealskullsareplain,andnotdecoratedwithbeautifuldesigns.Thebrightlycoloredsugarskullsarenotmeanttoberealistic,buttosymbolizedeathinacheerfulway.Theabstractdesignsareeye-catchingandfuntoadmire.
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ArtProject:SkullMask(30minutes)
Materials
• Whitepaperskulls(templatebelow)
• Markers,coloredpencils,oroilpastels
• Craftsticks
• Glue
• Optional:sequins,feathers,scrapsofcolored
paper
Instructions
1. Cutoutskullsfromwhitepaper.Cutouttheeyes.
2. Usingmarkers,coloredpencils,oroilpastels,drawdesignsandshapesusingbright,
vibrantcolors.PopulardesignsseenonDiadelosMuertosskullsincludeflowers,
swirlinglines,dots,leaves,andgeometricshapes.
3. Optional:continuetodecoratethemaskwithsequinsand/orfeathers.Usescrapsof
colorfulpapertocollagedesigns.
4. Whenthedesigniscomplete,attachcraftstickstothebackofthemaskwithglueor
tape.
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SkullTemplate