Last week I discussed El Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) with my students. We discussed the importance of learning about traditions and celebrations from other cultures around the world. I read the informational book El Dia de los Muertos/The Day of the Dead by Mary Dodson Wade and we discussed how other cultures perceive and understand the death of family members and loved ones. I focused more on the fact that El Dia de los Muertos is celebration of our loved ones' lives and tied it back to the tradition of storytelling. I explained that sharing stories and memories of our loved ones is a wonderful way to keep their memory alive. I also created my own mini "ofrenda" or altar dedicated to my maternal grandmother, Maria Velasquez. I included candles, a ceramic model of a sugar skull, pan de muerto (sweet bread), some of my grandmother's favorite foods and of course a photograph of my grandmother holding my son, Armando. I also included a sewing kit because my grandmother was a very skilled seamstress and could make beautiful clothes. She was also an AMAZING cook and I explained that when I use her famous recipes while cooking dinner for my family, I share stories and memories of my grandmother with my son that he can learn about her life. He was blessed to have known her before she passed away, but as he was very young, he very few memories of her so I help him remember her by sharing my own stories and memories. I'm happy to see that El Dia de los Muertos is now a more popular and well-known holiday here in the United States and it is my hope that my students use this opportunity to remember their loved ones and celebrate their family history. Until next time...Feliz Dia de los Muertos! and of course, happy reading!
Mr. Garcia
Mr. Garcia