For Día de Los Muertos 2023, I will be travelling to Oaxaca, Mexico. This once in a lifetime opportunity will allow me to not only learn about culture, but see it and live it first hand. I also will be able to bring this back to my school and my students to expose them to this Mexican holiday. As the day approaches, I will learn more and teach the information to my students so that we are all a bit more prepared about this amazing holiday. Additionally, my students will be asked to engage with me while I am in Oaxaca on this blog.
Prior to my trip, I want to document everything that I know about this amazing holiday. For me, Day of the Dead (Día de Los Muertos) is an opportunity for people to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed on. There is significance in every aspect of this holiday. People make ofrendas (altars) with elaborate pictures, decorations, and small tokens. For example, if the person who has passed loved smoking and drinking, it would not be out of the ordinary to include a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of their favorite alcohol. Additionally, there would be pictures, possibly their favorite foods, as well as other decorations.
Here is an example of an ofrenda made for the famous author Gabriel Garcia Marquéz and his wife in Mexico City in 2021 (Archie, 2022).
As you can see there are bright colors, calaveras (sugar skulls) and other memorabilia. As I continue with this blog, I will discuss in detail different aspects of the ofrendas.
Work Cited:
Archie, Ayana. “How to Make an Ofrenda for Día de Los Muertos.” NPR, 1 Nov. 2022, www.npr.org/2022/11/01/1133041841/dia-de-los-muertos-ofrenda-altar.
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