It's the Day of the Dead and the skeletons are out, but don't be scared! By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 11.03.16 Word Count 619 A Day of the Dead installation at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C., includes a special ofrenda, or altar, designed by Mexican-born designer Luis Fitch. The altar was inspired by Aztec pyramids and papel picado, a decorative cut paper that is commonly used during the holiday. Harrison Smith/Washington Post Halloween is a time when you see spooky skeleton decorations. You will also see pictures of sharp-toothed vampires and ghosts that say "boo!" In Mexico and in Mexican-American communities across the United States, pictures of skulls and bones are a sign of something different. They are part of a holiday called Día de los Muertos. It translates from Spanish to "Day of the Dead." Holiday Has Ancient Roots The holiday is celebrated for two days and features pictures of smiling skeletons. A sugary treat called a calavera is made. The calvera is shaped like a human skull. Yet, "nothing related to Day of the Dead is about being frightened," says Luis Fitch, a Mexican-born designer who created a special art display in Washington, D.C., for the holiday. "Halloween is about being scared, but Day of the Dead is about remembering people who have died." This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
The holiday was born from ancient Aztec and Catholic religious celebrations of the dead. The Aztec people were native to central Mexico. They spoke the Nahuatl language. Their empire controlled much of the territory between Mexico and the top of South America from the 1300s until the 1500s. Their empire ended when the Spanish colonized the area. The Spanish brought the Catholic religion to Mexico. Many Mexicans are descendants of the Aztec people. Who Eats The Bread Of The Dead? Halloween gets its name from All Hallows' Eve, the day before the Christian holiday of All Hallows' Day or All Saints' Day. That is a day when saints are honored. Similarly, the Day of the Dead begins on All Saints' Day itself, November 1. "Mexico is a big, big country," Alberto Fierro says. Fierro runs the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington. "Day of the Dead celebrations vary depending on where you are," he said. The most traditional celebrations, he says, are usually in central and southern Mexico. Many families celebrate by building small home altars, or areas for worship, called ofrendas. These hold photos of dead friends or family members. They also put out a collection of their dead loved ones' favorite food and drinks. There could be a few loaves of sweet pan de muerto, or bread of the dead. The bread is topped with sugar and decorated with bone shapes. All this food stays uneaten, however. Or, according to tradition, it goes uneaten by the living. An All-Night Cemetery Celebration The ofrendas are supposed to attract the souls of the dead. The people believe they can guide these souls from the cemetery by lining paths with bright yellow and orange marigold flowers. Families also take food to cemeteries, where community celebrations are often held November 2. This time, it's OK to do a little eating and drinking. "You visit the cemetery, clean it and spend time with the person you love," Fitch says. He says people stay awake all night there, with food, flowers and drinks. In honor of Day of the Dead, Fitch made a larger-than-life ofrenda at the Mexican Cultural Institute. His altar is not for a specific person. The institute also has a more traditional altar for well-known people in Mexican culture. One of them is for Juan Gabriel, a singer and songwriter who died earlier this year. Playful, Not Scary, Skeletons Fitch's altar is inspired by papel picado, decorative paper that is cut with scissors to form skulls and other designs. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
"In Anglo (non-hispanic) culture, we don't talk about death. We're all so scared," he says. Humorous skulls and skeleton figures can help to change that. The design of the skulls in Fitch's ofrenda piece is both playful and highly personal. The top three skulls in the pattern, he says, are modeled after himself, his wife and his son. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
Quiz 1 Read the paragraph from the section "Who Eats The Bread Of The Dead?" The most traditional celebrations, he says, are usually in central and southern Mexico. Many families celebrate by building small home altars, or areas for worship, called ofrendas. These hold photos of dead friends or family members. They also put out a collection of their dead loved ones' favorite food and drinks. There could be a few loaves of sweet pan de muerto, or bread of the dead. The bread is topped with sugar and decorated with bone shapes. All this food stays uneaten, however. Or, according to tradition, it goes uneaten by the living. How does this paragraph support a MAIN idea of the article? It explains why people in Mexico first started celebrating the Day of the Dead. It shows when the traditional celebrations for loved ones first began in Mexico. It explains how the traditional pan de muerto are baked and decorated with bones. It shows that the Day of the Dead has important traditions for honoring dead loved ones. 2 What is Luis Fitch's MAIN goal behind creating his special art display? to honor the positive spirit of the Day of the Dead to teach people about the traditions of the Day of the Dead to get people to talk about death to create art about himself and his family This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
3 Read the sentence from the article. The holiday is celebrated for two days and features pictures of smiling skeletons. Which of the following sentences uses the word "features" in the SAME way as it is used above? The features of the skeletons all looked the same. Food and drink is one feature of Day of the Dead celebrations. Luis Fitch's ofrenda features images of his wife and son. The feature idea of the holiday is to attract the souls of the dead. 4 Read the sentence from the section "Holiday Has Ancient Roots." The holiday was born from ancient Aztec and Catholic religious celebrations of the dead. Why does the author call the Day of the Dead a "holiday" and a "celebration" throughout the article? to explain that people feel sad on the Day of the Dead to explain that on the Day of the Dead people do not work to show that the Day of the Dead is something very old to show that people enjoy the Day of the Dead This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5