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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