Also, known as Day of the Dead, is one of my favorite cultural units to teach my students about. The meaning behind this (mostly) Mexican holiday is something I think transcends cultures or countries. Día de los Muertos is about celebrating and honoring the lives of loved ones who have passed away. Today, the holiday blends Catholic traditions with ancient Mexica ones as people create altars in their homes, visit cemeteries, and tell the stories about loved ones to keep the memories alive. In my 7th grade class, students learn about Day of the Dead, and choose a person they would like to honor. We build an altar in the classroom and students bring in photos, and other items that either belonged to the person or that represent the person.
The Aztec people believed in multiple layers of earth - and so, our life time on earth is only a small portion, and what you do as you pass through the many layers of heaven is what really counts. Today, Mexican people believe death is not to be feared, it is only a part of the on-going cycle of life. This is why calaveras (skulls) and calacas (toy skeletons) reign during the Day of the Dead celebrations from Nov. 1-2. Skull or skeleton art is a big part of Mexican folk art. The skeletons are lively, humorous, and usually doing worldly things, like playing a guitar or driving a car. The calaveras are usually brightly colored, ornate, sometimes covered in flowers or butterflies, but always beautiful representations of death - as odd as that may sound, it's really something to behold.
My students really get into this celebration. After they pick the person they want to honor, they write about him / her on decorative, calavera stationary and then, they go home to seek out things to bring in for the altar. The only rule to this is they can't purchase anything! By the end of the week, the altar looks amazing and is full of light, color, stories, pictures and artifacts of the lives once lived. The students place the items very carefully on the altar - finding just the right spot. Once it is up, many students come to visit my room just to view the altar and take it all in! The way they gaze over it is quite touching and they are so careful not to disturb any of the items placed. In class, my students are eager to share and tell about who and what!
Each year, I place a picture of my own beautiful, little niece who passed from cancer when she was 4 years old. Because most of them choose a grandparent, they are curious as to who the little girl is. They will ask me and then the questions stop - maybe for fear of prying or maybe because it is hard for them to comprehend. I was accustomed to this response until last year when one student asked me way more than, "Who was she?" She wanted to know all about her. I smiled at this student and wanted to hug her, but refrained for fear I would embarrass her! Turns out she also chose to celebrate the life of a child - her sister had passed at age 3 from Leukemia. This year, this same student brought in the most beautiful collection of her sister's belongings and she told us the story about each item: her sweet little shoes, her Maisy, the Mouse lunchbox with a collection of Chiclets and birthday candles stored inside, and a stuffed ladybug. We all listened intently and I personally rejoiced inside for having had the opportunity to provide an outlet to see, hear, and share the lives of these people - especially the little ones - the angelitos (as they are called in Mexico.)
And so, I'll end this post with a nod to Aisylin Grace, Hannah & Asher - the brevity of your lives is no match for how you have forever changed ours.
**Click on the images for close-up views.
