Year 4 has enjoyed finding out about Central and South America’s ‘Day of the Dead’ (Día de los muertos) celebrations in RE. The festival is celebrated this week on Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day. However, as the children have discovered, despite the name, it’s not all ghouls and ghosts. Its origins are both Catholic and from folk tradition and it’s neither a scary festival nor a morbid or sad time. Rather, it’s time to remember and celebrate the lives of those close to us who have passed away. It is about love, not fear, and there is lots of laughter, happiness, music and dancing.
As well as finding out about the way shrines are created, the children have learnt about food offerings, the importance of the marigold flower and the intricate tissue paper ‘Papel Picado’. Beautiful decorated sugar skulls (calaveras) and skeleton decorations (calacas) are created. The children will be exploring the wonderful designs on the sugar skulls and reproducing their vibrant colours into next week too.
‘It’s quite cool how they party around the gravestones instead of sobbing.’ - Nathan
‘I like how they draw lots of candy skulls that are patterned.’ - Bella
‘I like how they make really colourful altars.’ - Scarlett
Please could parents ensure children know their lines for the Christmas production, as we will be having a script free rehearsal on Wednesday.