Mexico’s Day of the Dead: a celebration of life

Día de los Muertos is Mexico’s most important religious holiday, celebrated on the 2nd of November each year.
Although Día de los Muertos sounds somewhat grim, it is actually a joyful and colorful event in which people celebrate their late loved ones by decorating altars with pictures, flowers, sugar skulls and by dancing, drinking and eating. During this time, it is believed that the dead are able to return to drink, dance and live for one day with their relatives.
The roots of this celebration go back to ancient Mexican civilizations, in which death was seen as an ever-present part of life. In these times, Death was a natural part of the cycle of life: to stop living did not mean to stop existing.
Dia de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Latin America, including South America and the Caribbean.

Our team has put together a few activities for you to celebrate this occasion.

Activity 1: Bake some Pan de Muertos or Decorate Sugar Skulls

In Mexico, during Día de los Muertos, thousands of people bake sweets such as Pan de Muertos  and prepare sugar skulls to decorate altars. A tasty idea to celebrate this ancient festival!

Activity 2: Watch the Movie Coco

Have you ever heard about Coco, the movie that has drawn attention to the most important Mexican festivity? Watch Coco on Netflix and learn more about other aspects of this special event!

Activity 3: Listen to a Mexican Playlist

During the Día de los Muertos, thousands of people get reunited and celebrate by dancing and singing. Music is an essential part on this holiday. Listen to “México en la piel” to bring a bit of Mexican musicality to your class!

Activity 4: Skull Face Painting

One of the most important Day of the Dead traditions consists in painting people’s faces with a wide range of colors!

Watch a Sugar Skull Face Painting Tutorial and express your inner artist!

Activity 5: Día de los Muertos Literature

Take a look at this diverse books list on the subject of Día de los Muertos to dive deeper into the traditions, history and people of Mexico.