In our world language classes, we not only teach the students how to speak different languages but also expose them to customs and cultural practices of different countries. In our elementary Spanish classes, the students learned about the Mexican holiday “Dia de los Muertos” or the Day of the Dead. Dia de los Muertos is a holiday that celebrates friends and relatives that have died and aims to make sure their memories live on in their community.
One of the symbols often associated with “Dia de los Muertos” is the skeleton or the skull. The skulls and skeletons are often made up to seem happy or made into edible treats that are meant to represent the people that have died. Our students decorated their own calaveras (skulls) in class and discussed why it is important to remember our friends and family that have died and the importance of this practice in Mexican culture.
