It’s been almost a month since we celebrated Día de Muertos at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, but my husband finally got around to editing this video and I wanted to share it with all of you!

My girl and I got dressed up and had some fun taking pictures from inside our Toyota Prius V while my husband drove us to the famed Mexican-style celebration of Day of the Dead in Los Angeles.

The video really does show you how colorful, traditional and beautiful the celebration is represented here, and what a perfect time it is to immerse our kids in culture. Hope you enjoy it!

Last year was our first time celebrating Día de Muertos.  Since then, a lot has changed in the way I see this holiday.  It amazes me how much of a spiritual impact the celebration of Día de Muertos has given me.  Last year I didn’t know much about it, so I did a little research, applied what I learned to the same beliefs that my husband and I grew up with, and did my best to weave the old with the new.  After having experienced all the emotions and joy that come with setting up and creating an altar last year, I was looking forward to getting started on our altar this year once Fall officially arrived.

What this year’s altar means to me is beyond the expectations of what I first expected to feel.  I knew that it had to be meaningful from start to finish, and it was.  There was no doubt in my mind that it needed to be separate from everything else, and it needed its own space where it can be appreciated.  Last year I was left feeling like I didn’t do our altar justice, so this year I wanted to make our deceased relatives proud. My goal was to create the foundation for an altar that would last us many years.  I wanted it to stand out and be noticed by everyone who walked through our door.  Most importantly though, I wanted my children and husband to be a part of the whole process too.

After much brainstorming and planning, we began gathering all the materials we needed together.  My husband took on the challenge of building the home of our altar(s), which were three large rectangular shadow boxes that would be hung on the wall.  The wood we used came from the box frame of our old bed that we took apart over the summer and saved before throwing out what we couldn’t repurpose.

Here is a detailed list of the materials we used for the shadow box shelf:

• (4) 11 5/8“ Long X 11/16” Thick X 3 3/8” High solid redwood boards
• (4) 21 ¾” Long X 11/16” Thick X 3 3/8” High” solid redwood boards
• (1) 22 7/8” Long X 3/8” Thick X 11” High plywood board for the back
• #6 x 1-1/4” wood screws
• #6 x ½” wood screws
• #16 x 1-1/4” Wire Brads nails
• (4) 2” rectangle brackets
• Staple gun
• fabric
• ¼” thick Quilt Batting
• Picture hangers (20lb capacity)
• ring hangers

Step 1:  Cut the Batting at least ½” bigger than the plywood board, and the fabric at least 1 ½” bigger than the plywood board. Lay down the fabric face down first, then place the batting over the fabric, then place the plywood board over them.  Starting with the middle (lengthwise), pull the fabric up and over the edge of the board, and staple it down.  Do the same with the other sides.  Work your way from the middle – out, leaving the corners last.   When you get to the corners, fold the leftover piece of fabric that hasn’t been stapled like you would a present, and staple it down one or two times.

Step 2: Build two frames separately using the nails first (the shorter redwood boards go on the outside of the frame).  Once you have the frames built, reinforce them with the #6 x 1-1/4” wood screws (one on each end between the nails).  Screw on half of the bracket halfway down the middle of each board with one #6 x ½” wood screw.  Slide the second frame onto the frame with brackets and secure them together with #6 x ½” wood screws again.

Step 3:  Evenly position the upholstered plywood board over one side of the completed frame and secure it onto the frame using the #6 x 1-1/4” wood screws.

Step 4:  Use a ruler to measure how far down, as well as how much inward, you want the picture hangers to be on the back board.  Screw them on with the #6 x ½” wood screws.  Use the distance between the top of the two rings to determine how far apart you need to place the hangers on the wall.

Now that the hardest part is done, it’s time to get creative!  If you’re going to include children in the process of creating an altar for Día de los Muertos, here are a few tips.

1. Find age-appropriate books about Día de los Muertos to introduce them to the cultural festivities if this is their first time.  Talk about the pictures, note the basics as a starting point (i.e., Marigolds, the offering, Calaveras, etc.).  Then talk about who you will be honoring in your altar.
2. Scope your home out for the right spot together as a family and talk about the different options you have.  How much space are you going to need?  How much space do you have?  Do you want it to be on a table, or on the wall, which room should it be in?
3. Once you’ve decided where the altar will be, you can ask the children to draw a picture of some of their ideas.  If they don’t want to do this, or are too young to understand, it’s okay!  Simply talking about it together can be enough.  Just make sure you jot down some of their ideas (if they give you some) so you can plan for them ahead for time.  Remember, this is a FAMILY DIY Project!  Everyone’s ideas and participation count!  No matter how big or small.
4. This one can probably go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway…Keep breakables and flammables to a minimum!  Children are naturally curious, and they will want to touch everything on the altar, so don’t put anything on the altar you would be upset about if it gets broken.  If you do, educate them on how to handle those items with care.  Lay down some rules if you must.
5. Have fun, be patient, and take your time.  Building an altar isn’t something to rush.  It’s a personal matter that involves lots of love, and only you and your family know what will work and what will not.  Small, large, simple, elaborate… doesn’t matter.  What matters is the time spent together bonding with your loved ones – alive and departed.

Watching my daughter get excited about helping us with our altar made every bit of hard work putting it all together worth it.  This year we talked about her Grandmother more, she asked about the others; who they were, how they died.  “Do we miss them?” she always asks.  Hearing and answering these questions does reawaken the grief and sadness in us, but only for a short while.  It’s part of the process I guess, because you can NEVER forget about the people you love and miss.  Never!  We don’t want to forget about them!  I think that’s why it’s so important to me to do this every year for my family.  It’s the only way my children can get to know their Father’s Mother and it helps keep the memories of her alive.  For that reason alone, I am beyond more than happy to continue this tradition every year.

I hope you enjoyed reading our experience. Below are links to recipes and resources that we used to help us build our altar as a family.

Books about Día de los Muertos

Paper Table Template

Pan De Muerto recipe by King Arthur Flour

Sweet Tamales by Muy Bueno Cookbook

¡Ha llegado ya!, el día de los muertos hay que festejar. Well, it’s almost here. Day of the Dead is celebrated November 1st and 2nd. To get the excitement going we are sharing this coloring story book in Spanish with you! The book introduces kids to basic Day of the Dead vocabulary. Just print it, have your kids color it and then follow the instructions to fold it into a story book. Perfect for home or the classroom!

Click here for a printable version of the previewed coloring story book above. 

For more Spanish educational materials for niños visit Monarca Language and like them on Facebook.

And for more Day of the Dead finds, crafts, printables and recipes visit our Celebrate Día de Muertos page!

Contrary to what many could think judging by its name, el Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is mostly a celebration of life. It is a time where we honor and remember our loved ones that have passed away and we do so by celebrating with joy the memory of their lives. In Mexico, colorful altars are created either at home or the cemetery. These altars include skulls and other symbols that represent death but they are lively decorated, full of color and cheerful details, as the idea is to bring to life the positive memories we have of those who have died. Personal objects, mementos, pictures and even favorite foods of the deceased are placed as part of the altar. The whole family gets creative thinking of ways the altar can best represent the memories of those that have passed on and are held near and dear to their hearts. As much importance is placed on creativity, I wanted to share an edible idea that is meant to get your creative juices flowing: Día de los Muertos Sandwich Art.

The shape of traditional sandwich bread is close to the shape of a skull, so just like decorating cookie skulls, you can decorate a piece of bread to make fun and creative sandwiches or toast. This is a great idea to involve your kids and to allow them to learn more about the traditions, but also to become part of the celebration. If you do not partake in the creation of an altar at home but do want make sure your family knows about this celebration, why not try this edible activity for breakfast, lunch or snack time, while telling stories about the lives of our loved muertos.

Here are a few Día de los Muertos sandwich art ideas but remember the possibilities are endless.

Using an apple corer or simply a knife, make two holes on a piece of bread to resemble the eyes. Do the same for the nose and mouth. Spread peanut butter and jelly on another slice of bread and top it off with the cutout sliced so that the jelly shows out, adding color to the face of the skull.

If you want to get even more creative, make an open face sandwich. Have various types of nuts, candy, and fruit on hand and on a slice of bread, use a smooth spread of your choice. The spread will work as a glue that will hold together your work of art. This is a good idea for a sweet treat or snack.

For a healthier version, spread cream cheese to create a blank canvas. Use cold cuts, sliced cheese and veggies to cut out shapes that will give life to the skull.

For many people the idea of “celebrating” death might seem gory and even disrespectful, but for those in Mexico and other countries in Latin America remembering those that have passed before us is filled with joy and a festive atmosphere. Much of the symbolism associated with the traditional Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday celebrated in Latin America on November 1st and 2nd, has crossed over to the United States and is starting to fuse with Halloween due to its proximity in days and its seemingly related themes dealing with the after life.

TO CONTINUE READING HOW DISNEYLAND PARK COMMEMORATES DÍA DE MUERTOS CLICK ON TO READ THE REST OF MY POST ON BABBLE

Every year when we open up our box of Halloween pumpkins, ghosts, spiders and bats, we also take out the Día de los Muertos skulls and skeletons we pack in the same box. The day before trick-or-treating, we set up our ofrenda: a memorial or altar that pays tribute to family members and friends who have died. The ofrenda is a collection of treasures, pictures, food, special items and candles to remind the families of their loved ones.

Learning about celebrations around the world not only heightens cultural understanding, it helps children learn our similarities and differences, what other cultures value, and for our own kids, it instills pride in their own heritage. Understanding the reasons behind different celebrations helps to promote cultural awareness and eliminates negative attitudes or prejudices. In Day of the Dead, we see the values of family, our ancestors, of certain traditions and rituals, and of the belief in life after death.

Día de los Muertos, or Todos Santos is a holiday that stems from the Catholic All Saints’ Day/All Souls’ Day, combined with Aztec rituals celebrating the lives of our ancestors. In fact, it is celebrated in Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia, Ecuador, and other Latin American countries. Because my husband is from Mexico City, we try to keep Mexican traditions alive and teach our kids about this special celebration.

After gathering the materials for our altar we set out some favorites foods and some water, because traditionally people have believed that the spirits are hungry and thirsty from their journey. The kids gathered the skeletons (calacas) and skulls (calaveras), and hung up their skull art project since we didn’t have any papel picado available. Traditional ofrendas also typically have cempasuchitl (marigolds), candles and incense to lead the spirits to the altar for their visit.

But everyone’s favorite part is when we gather items to represent our grandparents’ favorite activities, hobbies and even vices. My maternal grandfather was a gardener, who loved to fish, and could build and fix anything. We represented his interests with a plant, a hammer, and a fishing lure, near his photograph. For Toño’s grandfather, we had a flask of tequila, an old level and a bunch of bananas. As I explained each object to my kids, the stories began to flow. His maternal grandfather surveyed land all over Mexico and was sometimes paid in unique commodities. One time he brought home a whole banana stem from the Yucatan peninsula. After carrying it home all the way back to Mexico City, he laid it on the floor, a huge, hairy tarantula crawled out, and everyone screamed!

For our family, and families across Latin America, Día de los Muertos is not only about keeping a tradition alive and instilling pride- though these certainly play a part. This special holiday is a chance for our children to learn about relatives that they might not remember or maybe haven’t ever met. As families sit together and share special stories about our loved ones, we get to strengthen our memories and show our children what beautiful families they are a part of.

Monster High welcomes a new student in honor of Day of the Dead! Her name? Skelita Calaveras!

The Mattel owned line of dolls features characters based off creatures like Frankenstein’s monster, Medusa and Dracula – all of whom attend Monster High as students. Skelita is one of the first international transfer students. Created by Mexican-American doll designer, Natalie Villegas, Skelita is the daughter of Los Eskeletos, and her heritage is rooted in Día de los Muertos.

I had the opportunity to ask doll designer, Natalie Villegas a few questions. Here’s what she had to say!

Interview with Natalie Villegas

SB: I love that this doll is joining the Monster High collection for Día de los Muertos! … I understand that even though you’re Mexican-American, you didn’t begin celebrating Day of the Dead until adulthood. What do you love about the holiday? What are your favorite Día de los Muertos traditions?

Natalie: I grew up in a Chicano Catholic household and reclaimed some lost Mexican/Latino traditions as I grew older. Although I celebrated All Saint’s Day/All Soul’s day in Catholic school, it wasn’t until later that I connected with Día De Los Muertos celebrations. Once I realized how connected I felt to the rituals and celebrations of my past heritage and ancestors, I embraced it and made it part of my life. As Latinos feel less dominated by popular culture we are able to bring on our own perspectives and participate as equals and not feel ashamed of how unique and different our heritage is. As a child you can’t really decide what traditions you will honor, but as adult I choose to not only keep myself informed about my cultural heritage but also adapt it to my modern life.

The things I love most about Día de los Muertos are the ancestral and cultural ties, as well as the celebration among friends and family for those who are longer with us. In addition, I love the beautiful aesthetic. I’m drawn to the colors, patterns, and textures. As you can tell, these visual cues were a huge inspiration when I created Skelita for Monster High.

One of the most important traditions of Día de los Muertos is one of my favorites. I love to prepare the ofrenda, or altar. The altar consists of photographs of loved ones who have passed foods (favorites of family/friends who have passed), flowers, and anything else that may have been significant to loved ones. My second favorite tradition is one that I created for myself. I love to “dress up” and create costume like outfits that mix the traditional Mexican culture with modern fashion for Día De Los Muertos festivals that I attend.

SB: When I was little I used to play with Barbies for hours with my little sister. I never had a doll like Skelita. I’m trying to imagine how I would have incorporated her into our imaginary world! Do you guys do focus study groups? How do kids play with a doll like Skelita and her Monster High friends who are so different than the other Barbies? … How do children not familiar with Día de los Muertos react to Skelita?

Natalie: Monster High is all about celebrating uniqueness and accepting your freaky flaws! So when I design a new character for Monster High, like Skelita, I always think about girls who associate with that feeling of being “perfectly imperfect.”

Monster High has a rich narrative that girls love. While the core characters are children of storybook monsters like Frankie Stein or Draculaura, Skelita is among the first group of international transfer students who also have humorous but relatable stories to tell – this time with a cultural connection. And Monster High is a designer’s dream! In fact, I brought the idea of Skelita to the Monster High team because I wanted to design a character that could bridge a cultural and professional passion of mine.

I’m so proud of this new doll and character. Skelita Calaveras is the newest addition to the Monster High student body. She’s the daughter of Los Eskeletos whose heritage is rooted in a Latino tradition, Día de los Muertos. So, it’s only natural that her favorite activities are face painting, dancing and spending time with her familia. And, Skelita’s freaky flaw is that gets a feeling in her bones that something epic is about to happen … she just doesn’t know when!

So, as you can see, bringing this narrative to life – for girls to play with and “act out” – is extremely special to me. And my hope is that Skelita will inspire girls of all backgrounds to accept and celebrate diverse traditions and holidays. Because at the core, that’s what Monster High is celebrating – the heritage that makes us unique.

A few fun facts about the Skelita doll:

• Natalie wanted to mix up the traditional and modern by giving the doll an “East L.A. Twist”

• One of the traditional elements incorporated in the design include a skirt reminiscent of “papel picado.”

• The bodice design is a mix of a swirled “vertebra” pattern that is somewhat floral – and that floral reference is to the marigolds that are placed on altars during Day of the Dead.

• The wedges Skelita is wearing on her feet have Mexican “huaraches” references.

Do you love Skelita? We have one doll for giveaway! Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Last week a Colombian friend of ours decided that it would be a great idea to have a pre-Halloween party for the kids. She’s always coming up with the best ideas to keep the kids entertained and en español. This time, she came up with the idea of having a comparsa-style party, meaning that the whole family would have to come dressed up under one theme and put together a show to perform in front of everyone.

Yikes!

As fun as it sounded, I was nervous because I’m the worst at having the Halloween spirit. I never, ever dress up because I just can never get creative about it or dedicate time to it. But this time I wanted and needed to do it for my girl. I knew this would be a blast for her and we hadn’t seen this group of amigos in a while.

Since I’m a bit wee obsessed with the Day of the Dead celebration, I decided it would be fun if the three of us got our faces painted as calacas and found mariachi outfits. We could only find a good mariachi outfit for my husband, but we scored big time when Sara (of Music with Sara fame!) jumped at the chance to paint our faces!

My girl wasn’t too thrilled at the idea at first because, well, we just weren’t princesas! So I grabbed one of her favorite books, Rosita y Conchita, and explained to her that she would look just like Rosita. After one night of restless sleep and me having to explain that we wouldn’t actually all be muertos, she finally understood and got excited about it.

So, with Rosita y Conchita in hand, Camila directed Sara so her face would come out exactly as she wanted it. It was beautiful to watch.

The three of us came out looking so amazing, I must dare say! Thanks to Sara for playing along with us!

Check it out for yourselves:

Oh, and we never ended up actually performing because my girl got stage fright, but we did get the most amazing compliments and we loved it all!

What is your Halloween costume all about?

For years now we’ve been talking about and celebrating the Day of the Dead festivities on SpanglishBaby, but this is the first year I’m finally going all out with Camila since I feel she can now get a better grasp of what it means. My plan is for us to put an altar together for the bisabuelos and bisabuela she never met. We’re also invited to a party this Saturday where all families have been asked to dress up as a comparsa, meaning we’ll all have a costume under one same theme.

We thought it would be so fun to get our faces painted as Día de Muertos calaveras and dress up as mariachis! I wasn’t sure how Camila would react to that since it wasn’t her typical princess theme. I told her one night and she immediately said no way. I responded: “¡Va ser divertido! Vamos a celebrar el Día de Muertos como en el libro de Rosita y Conchita que te gusta tanto.”

And that’s where I messed up.

She didn’t know what to say because, yes, she loves that book, but I had used the word “Muertos.” We put her to bed and all was beautiful, until she started getting up. Her pajama itched, she was thirsty, she couldn’t sleep. ¡Miles de excusas! Or so I thought.

The next morning she woke up and finally admitted that she couldn’t sleep because she thought that “todos vamos a estar muertos.” Just like the character of Rosita está muerta in the beautiful book.

And that’s when I realized I had messed up!

As much as she adores the book and she can embrace the traditions and colors behind Día de Muertos, we hadn’t done a great job at explaining to her more about the concept of death. She’s only five, you know?

So this year, teaching my daughter about one of the most beautiful cultural celebrations from part of her heritage, has also opened up a conversation about life and death, but even more than that, her own inner exploration of it. Which is fine. It’s an important one to explore without fear.

We will for sure put up an altar this year and attend as many festivities as we can so that we can transform that fear into an embrace of the inevitable. For some parents it’s too much to talk to their kids about deep life concepts, but I truly believe that when a child is asking or expressing the need to know, then they are ready.

I’d love to know if you’ve had any similar stories and how you dealt with it. Please share in the comments below.

And while we’re on the topic, I’ve written an article on my Babble Voices blog on how to teach our children about the symbolisms and objects that make the Day of the Dead celebration so special that you should check out.

This game is surprisingly simple, and incredibly addicting. Watch the skeletons pop up in different boxes, wait to see the icon for which element of the ofrenda they need – flowers, pan de muerto, prayer, or tequila – and then race to give it to them before they go back underground. Sometimes, two or three of them will pop up at one time! And watch out for the bar at the top that fills as you miss opportunities to feed them; that indicates they are “pulling your feet.”

Find Día de Muertos on iTunes

Available for iPad and iPhone

Recommended for ages 12 and up (mild alcohol reference)

Price: FREE

Check out WashaWasha on Facebook and Twitter

Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book by Jeanette Winter

A fun take on the interactive storybook, this app allows you to record yourself reading the story of Don Pedro Linares, a famous Mexican calavera maker. The narrative is in English, but the latter half of the story is the abecedario with words like candelera and tortillera. The illustrations are beautiful, and kids will love to hear their parents’ voices (or their own!) coming from the app.

Find Calavera Abecedario on iTunes

Available for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android

Recommended for ages 4 and up

Price: $7.99

Day of the Dead – Experience the Tradition by University of Notre Dame

For anyone who isn’t familiar with the Día de Muertos traditions and history, this is a great crash course. It’s a beautifully designed, interactive textbook (in English) with embedded videos and pictures that flip and spin. It would serve as a wonderful resource for any children doing a school project about the Mexican holiday. It’s also just a fun thing to read together at home to incite discussion about the theme of death in a positive light.

Find Day of the Dead – Experience the Tradition on iTunes

Available for iPad and iPhone

Recommended for ages 4 and up

Price: FREE

Check out Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies website

Day of the Dead Me by Simply Sweet Apps

I thought this would just be car entertainment for the kids, but then I spent forever taking pictures of myself to get the perfect frame for a “dead me” face. Take a photo of anyone, edit it with traditional tools, then place all kinds of fun and creepy decorations on top: hats, roses, painted eyes, and masks. Halloween and Día de Muertos in one cool app!

Find Day of the Dead Me on iTunes

Available for iPhone and iPod Touch

Recommended for ages 4 and up

Price: $0.99

Check out Simply Sweet Apps on Twitter and their website. Also, see this video for a how-to.

Rosita y Conchita by Peek ‘n Play Story Apps

We’ve been anxiously waiting for this app to hit the iTunes store because we’re already huge fans of the bilingual book, Rosita y Conchita by Erich Haeger and Eric Gonzalez of Muertoons. This interactive app beautifully brings to life the storybook tale of two gemelas  – Rosita y Conchita — that were separated when Rosita passes away. On Day of the Dead, Conchita prepares an altar for her beloved sister and we go along with Rosita’s journey to find her way back home during the one day her spirit can breakthrough. The app allows your child to choose to listen to the rhyming story either in English or Spanish, or, if old enough, read the text on his own. Kids will also love tapping the screen to find the interactive delights and surprises on each page.

Find Rosita y Conchita on iTunes

Available for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad

Recommended for 4-7, 8-10

Price: $4.99

Check out Peek ‘ PlayStory Apps.

For more Day of the Dead goodies, check out all activities, videos, crafts, recipes, books and much more we’ve collected in this page and on Pinterest.