1. Halloween
Día de los Santos
Día de los Muertos

2. Does anyone know how Halloween began?
It goes back as far as 5 B.C.
The Druid Celts believed that the souls of the dead visited Earth on the last day of October.
They wore masks to scare off the bad spirits who may come to their door.
It is believed that later the Romans added a few of their own traditions to the celebration.

3. What the tradition of Jack O’Lantern?
The Jack-o-lantern custom comes from Irish folklore.
Tale of Jack who was denied entrance to Heaven because of his evil ways.
Jack was condemned to wonder with a small amber.
The Irish used turnips as to light their way and called it Jack o lantern.
The Irish in America found pumpkins were more plentiful than turnips. So the Jack-O-Lantern in America was a hollowed-out pumpkin, lit with an amber.

4. Los Españoles Brought their power and Religion
They came to save the “Soul”
All Saints Day

5. El Día de los Santos

6. *500 years ago the Spanish landed

7. In Mexico and Central America They discovered and conquered

8. Indigenous people practicing a ritual they could not do away with.
Aztec empire and warrior

10. El Día de los Muertos Ritual is celebrated in Mexico and
certain parts of the US.
It was merged with Catholic Theology
* It still maintains basic principles of the Aztec ritual, such as the skulls.

11. Aztecs did not view death as the END of life, but a CONTINUATION of life.
They believed that life is a dream, and only in DEATH did they become truly awake.
Instead of fearing death they embraced it.

12. “Las Calacas” Found everywhere
Made out of chocolate, marzipan and white chocolate.
They symbolize a joyful afterlife.

13. Sugar skulls and Wooden mask skulls

14. People don wooden skull masks called – Calacas

15. “Desfile” People dress in costumes of the dead
Face’s become a skull and they carry crosses.

16. “Papel Picado”
Traditional are used to decorate homes, businesses, markets and las ofrendas.

17. “Las Flores” “Calendula” (Marigold) Short duration of life.
They are used as adornment and enticement for the returning spirits

18. “Ofrendas” Are found in homes “Las Ofrendas” include:
Picture of the one being remembered
Items they were fond of
Somehting to snack on
Candles
Flowers
Gifts

19. Wooden Skulls are placed on – Altars dedicated to the dead

20. People visit the cemetery, decorate the gravesites with flowers and candles

21. Comida Pan de los Muertos.
Special loaves of bread decorated with bones

22. “Cementerios”
“Las tumbas” are decorated:
Flores
Calacas
Comida

23. Day and evening gatherings at the gravesites – eat favorite food of the loved one that died.

24. El Dia de los Muertos begins on the eve of 31/10
It continues for 2 days
On 1/11 the children that died are celebrated
On 2/11 the adults are celebrated.

25. “La creencia”
November 1: All Saints Day (families gather near the ofrendas in their homes)
November 2- All Soul Day.(families gather in the cemeteries to honor the dead at the grave)

26. El Dia de los Muertos