El Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is a celebration to remember and honor lost loved ones. Although it is celebrated throughout Latin America, the holiday is strongly associated with Mexico, where the tradition originated. On November 1-2, the streets of Mexico are filled with decoration, flowers, Calaveras (skulls) and parades to honor the dead; it’s truly a sight to see! No travel plans to Mexico this weekend? No worries! Many of our schools are celebrating the holiday right here in Indy!
Middle school students at Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet High School are studying the traditions around Dia de los Muertos and decorating Calacas (skeletons) this week.
Calacas and Calaveras are the most familiar symbols of Dia de los Muertos, they typically appear as candied sweets, parade masks and dolls. The art class of Ms. Amanda Wade studied the proportions of the human body to create a more realistic skeleton and decorated them for various different professions.
“I enjoyed the project because I liked how we got to bring out our creativity on the skeleton,” says Jasmine R. a student from Ms. Wade’s class.
Ms. Wade is excited her students are focusing on multi-cultural art this year.
“It is fun for my students to share their heritage and traditions, and to learn about new ones!”
This holiday is one of the many cultural traditions that our students are exposed to allowing them to develop a sense of diversity and respect for various cultures.
“I liked learning about the Hispanic traditions,” said Attucks student Gabriella F.
“I am going to bring in photographs of my grandparents, a flag which was flown at my Father-in-Laws military funeral, and a picture of my brother-in-law,” says Principal Jeremy Baugh, “these items help me remember the special people that I have lost, and will be a unique way for me to share more about my family with our school community.”
