How to build an altar for 'Day of the Dead', in Mexico.

An altar /ˈɑːltɚ/ is a combination of traditions with both symbols:
- Prehispanica indigenous cultures
- Christian culture.

They often include multiple levels, the most common are:

- Two levels (representing Heaven and Earth)
- Three levels (representing Heaven, Purgatory and Earth)
- Seven levels (representing the seven steps necessary to reach Heaven):
     1.- The first (1st) step: an image of a Saint to whom the departed loved-one was particularly devoted.
     2.- The second (2nd) step: and image of souls in purgatory.
     3.- The third (3rd) step: salt (for purifiction).
     4.- The fourth (4th) step: bread (dead bread).
     5.- The fith (5th) step: foods and favourite fruits or the loved-one.
     6.- The sixth (6th) step: photographs of the loved-one.
     7.- The seventh (7th) step: a cross, or rosary, made from either seeds or fruits like tecojote and lime.




Among the traditional offerings can also be found:
- water
- candles
- frankincense
- floral arches
- papel picado (rectangular bits of paper with different designs cut into them)
- flowers (especially the traditional orange or yellow cempazuchitl)
- skeletons,
- favourite drinks (tekila, beer, rompope and wine)
- favourite objects of the departed...

or even more.

Halloween?... No, 'Dia de los muertos' (México)

Dulce, Enrique and Gildardo are mexican students in our school.

They want to be teachers and they help us to learn something about 'Día de los muertos' in México.

The 'Day of the Dead' is held on November the 1st (and 2nd) -instead of 31st October- coinciding with Catholic celebrations of All Saints' Day.

It's a traditional celebration of Mesoamerican origin that honors the deceased.

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El festival que se convirtió en el Día de Muertos se conmemoraba el noveno mes del calendario solar mexica, cerca del inicio de agosto, y se celebraba durante un mes completo. Las festividades eran presididas por la diosa  Mictecacíhuatl, conocida como la "Dama de la Muerte" (actualmente relacionada con "La Catrina", personaje de José Guadalupe Posada) y esposa de Mictlantecuhtli, Señor de la tierra de los muertos. 

El altar de muertos, también conocido como ofrenda del día de muertos, es un elemento fundamental en el conjunto de tradiciones mexicanas del Día de muertos, que consiste en instalar altares domésticos en honor de los muertos de la familia donde se ofrece como ofrenda de alimentos, velas, flores y objetos de uso cotidiano del difunto.

El altar de muertos es una construcción simbólica resultado del sincretismo de las ideologías prehispánicas, la cosmovisión endémica de las culturas mesoamericanas y las creencias religiosas europeas de carácter abrahámico traídas por los conquistadores y misioneros españoles encomendados a la colonización y conversión de los pueblos nativos del actual territorio mexicano.Las creencias mesoamericanas sincréticas, para rendir tributo a los antepasados familiares, a los difuntos cercanos o a personajes importantes.

Estos altares, producto del sincretismo religioso, guardan todavía una enorme similitud en elementos simbolismo y estéticos con los Tlamanalli (del náhuatl - Tlamana: ofrecer, -lli sufijo, "La Ofrenda"), elaborados por los grupos que aún guardan la tradición de los pueblos originarios.

En ceremonia llevada a cabo en París (Francia) el 7 de noviembre de 2003 la Unesco distinguió a la festividad indígena de Día de Muertos como Obra Maestra del Patrimonio Oral e Intangible de la Humanidad. La distinción por considerar la Unesco que esta festividad es:

Una de las representaciones más relevantes del patrimonio vivo de México y del mundo, y como una de las expresiones culturales más antiguas y de mayor fuerza entre los grupos indígenas del país.

Ese encuentro anual entre las personas que la celebran y sus antepasados, desempeña una función social que recuerda el lugar del individuo en el seno del grupo y contribuye a la afirmación de la identidad...

Halloween. The Legend of Stingy Jack (The Story Behind Jack-o-Lanterns)

On 31st October, it's Halloween.

This is the 'true' story os Stingy Jack.

Holywin is here... Holywin?

Yes.

Halloween is coming and you can also celebrate Holywin

Halloween -------           All Hallows' Eve,    The day before All Saints' day.

Holywin ----------          Holy  win,                 Holy (Saints') win.


You know Halloween... This is Holywin (Paris, 2002).

- Use costumes of saints, for boys and girls.
 

 
 

- Read comic stories about saints' life.

- And eat sweets!

This is Britain - Halloween

You can celebrate Halloween

Halloween alphabet (From Z to A)

The Trick-Or-Treaters bring you a quirky creative Halloween Song about the Alphabet that goes from Z to A. Each letter describes something about Halloween and will have you laughing until the beginning of the alphabet. Listen, download, and enjoy!
Lyrics to Halloween Alphabet Song by The Trick-Or Treaters....

HALLOWEEN ALPHABET SONG

Get ready for the Halloween Alphabet Song!
A is for….Wait!… No it’s Halloween,
We’re going to do it backwards, like we should.

Z is for those zig-zagging zombies
Y is for the youthful yoding yoda’s
X is for an X-ray of a Skeleton
W is for wicked weary witches
V is for Vain Vanting Vampires (I vant to eat your candy)
U is for Uncanny UFO’s
T is for teenage Trick-or-Treaters
S is for the scary screams
R is for Raunchy Rancid Recipes
Q is for quietly quilting (with your porch light off, cricket)
P is for pick’n parties at the pumpkin patch (I think I found a good one)
O is for Orange filled Oreos (in October)
N is for the nomads on a nimbus 2000 (Slow down Harry!)
M is for mumbling moaning mummies
L is for Life-life monsters
K is kegs of rootbeer n’ karaoke (I got the next song, Give me the mic!)
J is for jumping jack-o-lanterns
I is for Impressive and Incredible costumes
H is for the Haunted House (I will not go in that place!)
G is for ghosts, ghouls, and goblins
F is for Freaky Frankenstein
E is for Edible Delights (Eat your candy!)
D is for a Dark Drueling Dracula
C is for the Creepy Crawlies in the Cemetary
B is for Black Cats, Big-ol’-Bats, bobbin for apples in big ol vats
A is for AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!
A is for AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Halloween phonics

Halloween ABCs

Monster Halloween! (The last one this year)

Halloween! What is a witch?

To watch more... a longer video.

Halloween is coming!

Halloween short story.

Halloween

Halloween words.

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Halloween Word Scramble: Unscramble Halloween