Dia de los Muertos Project
“TO LIVE IN HEARTS WE LEAVE BEHIND IS NOT TO DIE.” -- THOMAS CAMPBELL, “HALLOWED GROUND”
Dia de los Muertos
Every year on November 1st and 2nd, people around the world celebrate the lives of their loved ones that have died. This well-known holiday is called Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. It is primarily celebrated in Mexico and the United States. The holiday originated in the 1500s with the Aztec people. These natives celebrated a month-long holiday honoring the dead. When conquistadors came from Europe to bring Christianity to the natives and search for gold, the Aztec traditions evolved into the two-day holiday that we celebrate today. Family members create altars with traditional food, candles, and decorations. They dedicate an altar to their love one by displaying photos of the individual, and items and things that they loved when they were alive. On the night before the celebration, families gather (usually in a churchyard or cemetery) and light candles on their altars. They also light extra candles for forgotten souls. People believe that the candles, food, and favorite items lead the spirits home. The families spend the night thinking about their loved ones and waiting for the arrival of their souls. In the morning, they attend Mass. This holiday is taken very seriously, and it is not a sad or scary occasion. It allows the memories of passed loved ones live on in our hearts.
My Dia de los Muertos Experience
For the Dia de los Muertos project in Spanish 1, I chose to celebrate my grandfather. My sister is also in Spanish 1 so we decided to collaborate on our altar as we both wanted to honor our Grandpa Bob. He died when I was only 5, so I don't remember too many things about him. In order to write my description of him, I talked to my dad to learn more about him. This was difficult because my dad is currently working in California, but I was still able to learn about my grandpa over the phone. I really enjoyed learning about my grandpa, because I have never seriously discussed him with my dad. It was really rewarding to learn more about my past, and honor the memory of my grandpa. When I was talking with my dad, he said "I think Grandpa Bob would be really honored that you guys are doing this." My dad's statement really showed me how meaningful this celebration was, and I am very glad that my dad and I could share happy memories of my grandpa. Below, you can see photos of my altar. It included food and drinks that he liked, but we also displayed a fishing pole and an ammunition box to represent his love for hunting and fishing. At the exhibition, many people looked at my altar and asked me about my grandpa. I enjoyed this experience because even strangers expressed their love; one mother told me, "I think we would've gotten along very well with your grandfather!"
Reflection
This project was very different from other projects that I have done. It did not involve a lot of writing or work, but I think it was just as meaningful. I really enjoyed writing my description in Spanish. I have been eager to learn another language for a while, but it takes a while to build a vocabulary that is adequate for conversation. When I wrote my description, I felt that I had learned enough Spanish to write about my grandfather at length. Leading up to the exhibition, I worked hard to refine my description and include as many details as I could. I am very happy with the effort and learning that went into my project. However, I wish that I would have contributed more to my altar. As I said before, my sister and I decided to create an altar together. We worked together to compile a list of objects and food that we wanted to have to honor our grandpa. Eventually, my sister ended up taking the lead on gathering the items on our list. She played a key role in making sure that we had all the items for our altar. I definitely still helped her, but I wish I would've helped her more. Otherwise, I am very satisfied with how my project turned out and I feel that I learned a lot about Mexican culture and Spanish language..
Every year on November 1st and 2nd, people around the world celebrate the lives of their loved ones that have died. This well-known holiday is called Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. It is primarily celebrated in Mexico and the United States. The holiday originated in the 1500s with the Aztec people. These natives celebrated a month-long holiday honoring the dead. When conquistadors came from Europe to bring Christianity to the natives and search for gold, the Aztec traditions evolved into the two-day holiday that we celebrate today. Family members create altars with traditional food, candles, and decorations. They dedicate an altar to their love one by displaying photos of the individual, and items and things that they loved when they were alive. On the night before the celebration, families gather (usually in a churchyard or cemetery) and light candles on their altars. They also light extra candles for forgotten souls. People believe that the candles, food, and favorite items lead the spirits home. The families spend the night thinking about their loved ones and waiting for the arrival of their souls. In the morning, they attend Mass. This holiday is taken very seriously, and it is not a sad or scary occasion. It allows the memories of passed loved ones live on in our hearts.
My Dia de los Muertos Experience
For the Dia de los Muertos project in Spanish 1, I chose to celebrate my grandfather. My sister is also in Spanish 1 so we decided to collaborate on our altar as we both wanted to honor our Grandpa Bob. He died when I was only 5, so I don't remember too many things about him. In order to write my description of him, I talked to my dad to learn more about him. This was difficult because my dad is currently working in California, but I was still able to learn about my grandpa over the phone. I really enjoyed learning about my grandpa, because I have never seriously discussed him with my dad. It was really rewarding to learn more about my past, and honor the memory of my grandpa. When I was talking with my dad, he said "I think Grandpa Bob would be really honored that you guys are doing this." My dad's statement really showed me how meaningful this celebration was, and I am very glad that my dad and I could share happy memories of my grandpa. Below, you can see photos of my altar. It included food and drinks that he liked, but we also displayed a fishing pole and an ammunition box to represent his love for hunting and fishing. At the exhibition, many people looked at my altar and asked me about my grandpa. I enjoyed this experience because even strangers expressed their love; one mother told me, "I think we would've gotten along very well with your grandfather!"
Reflection
This project was very different from other projects that I have done. It did not involve a lot of writing or work, but I think it was just as meaningful. I really enjoyed writing my description in Spanish. I have been eager to learn another language for a while, but it takes a while to build a vocabulary that is adequate for conversation. When I wrote my description, I felt that I had learned enough Spanish to write about my grandfather at length. Leading up to the exhibition, I worked hard to refine my description and include as many details as I could. I am very happy with the effort and learning that went into my project. However, I wish that I would have contributed more to my altar. As I said before, my sister and I decided to create an altar together. We worked together to compile a list of objects and food that we wanted to have to honor our grandpa. Eventually, my sister ended up taking the lead on gathering the items on our list. She played a key role in making sure that we had all the items for our altar. I definitely still helped her, but I wish I would've helped her more. Otherwise, I am very satisfied with how my project turned out and I feel that I learned a lot about Mexican culture and Spanish language..