Here at Kids Activities Blog we have a ton of festive resources around the holiday, Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead. The first day of Día de Muertos is the day after Halloween. Often Day of the Dead decorations are mistaken for Halloween, but the two holidays are very different!
Day of the Dead
Our interest in the holiday began when a few years ago we did a sugar skull craft that turned out so beautifully, but we didn’t know about or appreciate the holiday behind the project. Part of the Kids Activities Blog writing team lives in Mexico and they got involved immediately! They taught us and created these beautiful and educational articles surrounding this important holiday.
Day of the Dead is a celebration of life and death. It’s time to celebrate!
This festival is celebrated to remember loved ones who have died, and it’s celebrated in a respectful and joyful way. It’s a great way to help people accept and deal with the idea of death.
Although it sounds like the opposite, it’s actually a celebration of life, and it helps people appreciate life more.
History of Dia De MUertos
“Day of the Dead originated several thousand years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other Nahua people, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful. For these pre-Hispanic cultures, death was a natural phase in life’s long continuum. The dead were still members of the community, kept alive in memory and spirit—and during Día de los Muertos, they temporarily returned to Earth. Today’s Día de los Muertos celebration is a mash-up of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Christian feasts.”
–National Geographic
If you want to read more about the history behind Dia de muertos, visit History‘s website!
When is Day of the Dead Celebrated?
Day of the Dead shares history with modern Catholicism! Did you know it takes place on November 1 and 2, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on the Catholic calendar?
Day of the Dead Activities for Kids
Celebrations start at home! That’s why we love making creative holiday activities ideas that you can make together with your little ones! Valentine’s day, Halloween, Christmas, 4th of July, and more… We have fun crafts for every celebration!
Let’s start with some custom printables for Day of the Dead. Kids can add their own color!
Day of the Dead Coloring Pages
EVERYTHING ABOUT OFRENDAS!
Ofrendas are an essential part of the Day of the Dead celebrations. The word ofrenda means offering in Spanish. They are set up to remember and honor the memory of their ancestors, a family member, a teacher, a celebrity, or even a pet!
Ofrendas welcome the souls who come back to visit their loved ones, and they have food and photographs that represent them.
Each part of the ofrenda has a very important meaning. From marigold flowers to sugar skulls, photographs, and papel picado, the altar is one of the most important parts of the celebration!
Flor de muerto, or marigold flowers use their color and scent to guide the spirits to their respective altars during Dia de los Muertos.
Kids can make their own flowers for the Day of the Dead! <–follow our simple instructions.
Pan de muerto is a delicious soft bread placed at altars for hungry souls.
Sugar skulls are more than just delicious sweets. They are made for families, “families” in Spanish, to decorate their loved ones’ ofrendas with both large and small sugar skulls. Sugar skulls represent seres queridos (loved ones) but they are also delicious food that is eaten during Day of the Dead.
Day of the Dead Facts for Kids You Can Print
–>More information about Day of the Dead facts for kids.
