Day of the dead in Latino countries

The day of the dead in LatinAmerican countries

The celebration of the Day of the Dead has become a popular holiday in many countries. The colorful images of catrinas and skeletons are becoming popular as a symbol of Latino culture.

But before launching into the celebration, wearing catrina dresses and makeup, it is important that we understand what exactly this tradition and its beauty is about.

A few years ago, my concept of death was dark, sad, and scary. Seeing a skull image was negative and loved ones who had already died were remembered with great sadness. When I learned about this tradition a few years ago (in my country Colombia is not celebrated and was not popular at the time), I was not sure that I would like to create altars or decorating my house with skulls to teach my kids the tradition, since my husband is from Mexico. I had to first understand fully what the tradition meant and see the reasons for the celebration, to later realize its beauty and how important it can be to see life from another angle.

Despite being known as a celebration of the Dead, it really is a celebration of life. It is a time of joy, where families honor and lovingly remember people who have already passed away. Teach children that the cycle of life does not end in death, because if you remember your loved ones, they will always be with us.

The celebration of the Day of the Dead has a long history in the Mexican Tradition and has been named Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco. It is celebrated every November 1, a period that also marks the culmination of the annual growing cycle of corn in Mexico, the predominant food crop in the country. Although marked throughout Latin America, the Day of the Dead is most strongly associated with Mexico, where the tradition began. The fusion of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Catholic holidays (the Day of the Dead is celebrated on All Saints’ Day and the Day of the Dead, minor holidays in the Catholic calendar) brings together two universes, one marked by indigenous belief systems, the other by traditions introduced by Europeans in the 16th century. The celebration as we know it (or as we normally see it in books or in the movie “coco”) is traditional in Mexico. However, other countries like Guatemala, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru also have their own traditions.

Mexican Celebration

Mexicans have a tradition to celebrate the lives of those who have died, bringing them food, drinks and music that people enjoyed in life. Many of the celebrations take place directly in cemeteries, (pantheons), when the family goes and visits the grave of their loved ones and brings them what they liked the most. The pantheon goes from being a gloomy place to becoming a space for party and celebration.

It is also a tradition to place altars in houses. Altars, or also known as offerings, is a place to display portraits, place favorite foods, and special possessions of loved ones. The altars are also decorated with candles and marigolds; candlelight and the scent of flowers (called cempasuchitl) are said to attract the souls of the deceased for a short time to partake of the pleasures they once enjoyed in life.

The most familiar symbol of the Day of the Dead are calacas y calaveras (skeletons and skulls), which appear everywhere during the holiday: in candied sweets, parade masks, dolls, etc. Calacas and skulls are always portrayed as enjoying life, often wearing fancy clothes, flower headbands, and even funny poses.

The bread of the dead is an important element of the offering and is much loved and enjoyed during this holiday.

Celebrations in other Latino countries.

Little is known to the world about the traditions of the Day of the Dead in other Latin American countries.

Guatemala, for example, also has a tradition of visiting cemeteries accompanied by food and drinks enjoyed by the dead. In Santiago and Sumpángo Sacatepéquez the flight of giant kites is one of the most admired shows of this day. The fundamental objective of this ritual is religious and cultural, since the inhabitants consider it a communication link with the loved ones who are deceased, during the celebration the souls of the deceased visit the earth and the kites act as messengers, and that at each rope pull a message of peace and well-being is sent, until the spirit of the deceased is raised together with the kite. This tradition was declared a cultural heritage of Guatemala on October 30, 1998.

In Ecuador they usually make bread rolls in the shape of humans, which they call guaguas. These muffins are a symbolism that represents those who have already passed away. The bread is usually accompanied with a drink of purple corn and fruits, known as colada morada.

Bolivia shares a tradition very similar to that of Ecuador. They have the tradition of making loaves in the shape of little people, which they call tantawawas. As in Mexico, they also usually place altars or tables which they also call apxatas and which they decorate with flowers, candles, and food.

What other traditions do you know about this day? How do you usually celebrate it in your family?

Remember that talking about cultural traditions with your children is a great way to introduce them to other cultures and learn to respect them. Talking about the traditions of your own country is a great way to teach them to embrace their roots and feel part of them.

Here I share this very nice video about the Day of the Dead in Mexico. Ideal for teaching tradition to the little ones.

We invite you to learn more together with your children. Here is a cute and small video beautifully presented for children. There are no words, just music. The film won Gold Medal at the 2013 Student Academy Award for Best Animated Short.

This is a nice Bilingual books you and your children may enjoy. The book tells the story of twin sisters – one alive and one dead – trying to reach each other on the Day of the Dead. While Conchita builds an altar full of love for her dead sister, Rosita travels through the land of the dead trying to find her way back for just one day. There is also an App you can buy that reads the story or you can interact with its characters. To download the App you can visit the Apple store here.

Cooking with Choko: Making Arepas

Learning a new language implies knowing the culture from which it comes. Today we entered the world of cooking and culinary and for this we did a nice game with the children of Michuchutren. Our little friends became Chefs and prepared delicious “arepas”. The arepas are native to South America, specifically Colombia and Venezuela. It is a typical meal based on corn flour that is cooked on a rack, pan-fried or baked. You can eat them with cheese, stuffed with chicken or meat among others. Here we share our experience and an infographic that we hope you can use at home to make arepas with your children.

Mix, Knead, Shape, Cook and Enjoy.

If you took the initiative to make the arepas at home with your children, please share your experience commenting here or with your images on facebook and instagram. Remember to add #pasionporelespañol, #passionforspanish, #michuchutren. Thanks

Cocinando con Choko: Como hacer arepas.

Aprender un nuevo idioma implica conocer tambien la cultura de donde viene. Hoy entramos en el mundo de la cocina y la culinaria y para ello hicimos un lindo juego con los niños de Michuchutren. Nuestros amiguitos se convirtieron en Chefs y prepararon unas ricas arepas. Las arepas son originarias de america del sur, especificamente de Colombia y venezuela. Es una comida tipica a base de harina de maiz que se cocinan sobre una rejilla, sofritas o al horno. Se puede comer sola o agregarle queso, rellenarlas de pollo o carne entre otros.

Aca les compartimos nuestra experiencia y una infografia que esperamos puedan usar en casa para realizar las arepas con sus hijos.

Mezcla, Amasa, Forma, Cocina y Disfruta.

Si tomaste la iniciativa de hacer las arepas en casa con tus hijos, porfavor comparte tu experiencia comentando aca o con tus imagenes en facebook e instagram. Recuerda añadir #pasionporelespañol, #michuchutren.

Gracias

Tradiciones Hispanas: Dia de Reyes

Los Tres Reyes Magos

The three Wise Men

Tradiciones Hispanas: Dia de Reyes
Hispanic Traditions: The Three wise men day.

Around this time of year, it is great to celebrate the traditions that we hold dear to our hearts but it can also be fun to learn a little about how other countries celebrate the holidays. Some Hispanic cultures celebrate what is known as Dia de Reyes or The Three wise men day.

You may have more of a clue as to what this holiday means when I tell you that it is also known as Epiphany in th US. This is the day in which the The Three wise men from the East traveled to see baby Jesus and present them with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Let’s learn how some countries celebrate it:

In Spain, Spaniards celebrate the religious day with a parade called the “Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos,” which takes place on the eve of the Epiphany.

People gather to watch a variety of Christmas-themed floats, performers dressed as angels and animals, lead the way for the three kings. The kings usually show up riding horses or on decorated floats and throw a variety of goods to the children in the audience. In Spain it is the Three Kings who bring presents and not Santa Claus. In the morning, families enjoy a bejeweled round cake called the “Rosca de Reyes,” or Kings’ Cake, to represent the jewels on their crowns.

Mexico also celebrates “Dia de Reyes” with a family gathering around the “Rosca de Reyes”, which includes a figurine of infant Jesus baked inside. Once the “Rosca”. Whoever finds the baby Jesus figurine is blessed and must take the figurine to the nearest church on February 2 (Candlemas Day, Día de la Candelaria). This person has the responsibility of hosting a dinner and providing tamales and atole to the guests too.

In Puerto Rico, on “La Víspera de Reyes” (the Eve of Three Kings Day) Puerto Rican children participate in cutting grass that will then be placed in a show box and go under their bed. The children are asked to write a wish list, which is then placed on top of the box of grass. Several families give out money instead of presents.

In Argentina, children make sure to place a pair of shoes, grass and a bowl of water for the camels and bread under their Christmas tree. The next morning the children wake up to presents under the tree.

For Cubans, the celebration of Three Kings Day begins when families decorate their Christmas tree and put out their nativity scenes. They place the figurines of the kings further away from the display and move them closer to the manger as they get closer to the day. Just like with Santa Claus, children will receive presents if they have behaved well through out the year.

So if you want to join some of our traditions you can get started by following this steps:

Sources for content:
http://www.latinpost.com Article: Dia de Los Reyes Magos: Latinos, Hispanics Celebrate the Coming of the Three Wise Men
https://en.wikipedia.org Article: Rosca de Reyes
http://www.mamajosefa.es Article: Ya vienen los Magos.

Felices Pascuas

Mixing traditions have become part of our lives in our global world, especially when you are living in a foreign country or trying to teach your children about other cultures. As a Hispanic mom, living in the USA, I wanted my daughters to share the traditions I grew with but also learn and embrace the traditions of their country. Learning the meaning and history of why we do things, have helped me in the process of teaching them about differences and similarities in cultures and be able to mix traditions without changing the real meaning of them.

Easter time is not an exception. As Hispanics, we typically grow up practicing the Roman Catholic faith we inherited from the Spaniards. Holy Week is one of the top Hispanic celebrations engraved in our traditions. It is the yearly commemoration in the Christian calendar of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Our Easter traditions are mostly religion related. Pretty much throughout Latin America, no stores or businesses are open at least from Jueves Santo or Holy Thursday on. Schools close the entire week, and for many, Semana Santa is a mixture of relaxation and religious celebration.

As we welcome spring in the USA, we start seeing the presence of the Eastern bunny. Kids are all excited about Brightly decorated eggs, Easter egg rolling and Easter egg hunts. In Hispanic countries, we normally do not have any tradition with eggs on Easter week. Now that one of my daughters is three and she is extremely excited about egg hunts and egg decoration, I wondered the real meaning of this tradition so we can embrade it with the same passion we embrace ours.

I was actually surprised about what I learned. The tradition of painting hard-boiled eggs during springtime pre-dates Christianity. In many cultures around the world, the egg is a symbol of new life, fertility and rebirth. For Christians, the Easter egg is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Painting Easter eggs is an especially beloved tradition in the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches where the eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross. Easter eggs are blessed by the priest at the end of the Paschal vigil and distributed to the congregants. The hard shell of the egg represents the sealed Tomb of Christ, and cracking the shell represents Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. An egg hunt involves hiding eggs outside for children to run around and find on Easter morning. Eggs are rolled as a symbolic re-enactment of the rolling away of the stone from Christ’s tomb.

It is curious how sometimes we see cultural traditions as totally different one from another until we get curious and learn about them. I love going egg-hunting with my daughter and I love watching her face when finding little surprises inside the eggs, but I am also happy to be able to teach her that besides of having fun there is a whole story-history behind it.

Happy Easter – Felices Pascuas.

P.S. There is a TraditionalHhispanic song call “Los Pollitos”, just perfect for this time of the year. Download its lyrics together with our Easter Chick here.