Celebrating Día de los Muertos

The Lower and Middle schools celebrated Día de los Muertos this week. Spanish for Day of the Dead, the holiday (also known as Día de Muertos) originated in Mexico and is traditionally celebrated November 1-2 to honor loved ones who have departed. Although associated with the Catholic celebrations of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, Día de Muertos is less solemn and more about joyful celebration rather than mourning.
 
The Lower School classes worked together to create a large festive display in the Community Hub. The fifth grade students used their inquiry skills to research important symbols from a Spanish-speaking Latin American country, and used this information to create one piece of a skirt for a life-sized calaca (festive skeleton). 
 
“The most famous of all calacas is La Catrina, and Mr. Bones, a genuine human skeleton belonging to the Lower School Science Program, is host to the fifth grade's first-ever ‘Catrina de las Américas’ (Catrina of the Americas),” said Lower School Spanish Teacher Kelola McCrary. “La Catrina was created as a caricature by José Guadalupe Posada, who wished to remind people not to be too vain or materialistic, since we all will end up as skeletons. This lively figure also reminds us, ironically, to enjoy life to the fullest while we are here,” added McCrary.
 
Meanwhile Kindergarten and Primary students colored toy skulls (calaveras) to represent the sugar skulls that children love to eat during the Day of the Dead in Mexico and other countries. They glued the skulls together and made a colorful wreath to add to the ofrenda, an altar with offerings in memory of loved ones.
 
First grade students worked with Visual Arts Teacher Margaret Synan-Russell to make masks honoring pets who have passed away. The second graders took time to meticulously color butterflies—another symbol of Día de Muertos. The third graders colored, cut out and assembled skeletons in different poses.
 
“There is a belief that departed loved ones come to visit graves and their families during this time of year, and these skeletons show how how happy they feel when they see their families again,” said Lower School Spanish Teacher Alfredo Peche. 
 
Finally, the fourth graders put their creativity to work by coloring and decorating huge skulls, decorated with butterflies made by the third graders.
 
Throughout this week in the Lower School Community Hub, you are invited to write the names of departed loved ones on butterfly cutouts, to place on the ofrenda or hang on the ficus tree. This invitation is for everyone in the Lower School—children and adults.
 
In the Middle School, the sixth graders drew pictures of alebrijes, which are brightly colored Mexican folk art representations of mythical creatures, and decorated skulls. The seventh graders decorated Catrina skeletons and wrote a few words about her. The eighth graders made poster boards depicting what they would want for their own ofrendas. “We hope everyone will stop by to see the students’ creations in the upstairs hallway of the Middle School,” said Middle School Spanish Teacher Tessa Sundaram. “Everyone is always excited to participate in the OES tradition of celebrating Día de Muertos.”