Día de los Muertos, here are some decorations and DIY crafts at almost zero cost, inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himEvery year in Mexico, between the end of October and the first days of November, the now famous is celebrated Day of the Dead. The origins of the festival date back to the pre-Columbian world, in particular the Aztec. People who celebrated a similar festival around August.
The pre-Hispanic rites over time have been intertwined with the new religion of the colonizers, giving life to a unique event of its kind, so precious that it has been recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
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Day of the Dead: the origin
We said that the origins of this ancient celebration date back to the pre-Columbian world, in particular to the Aztecs, for whom life and death were closely connected. With the arrival of the colonizers, many ancient traditions were wiped out, but others, such as the Día de los Muertos, resisted by mixing with the religion of the newcomers.
The holiday is currently celebrated between late October and early November, and each day is dedicated to different types of deceased, broken down by age and cause of death, CNDH Mexico explains.
In fact, the Aztecs believed that the fate of the dead depended on how they died, and not on the type of life they led. Those who died of natural causes had to reach Mictlán (the land of the dead), inhabited by Mictlantecuhtli (lord of the dead) and Mictecacíhuatl (mistress of the dead).
- altars dedicated to the dead, set up in every house, are a characteristic element of the celebration and represent a sort of portal between life and death. The elements placed on them on the one hand guide the deceased on their long return journey, on the other they pay homage to them.
By now the Día de los Muertos enjoys wide popularity even in our latitudes and after the success of the cartoon “Coco” even more. Among other things, the traditional decorations of this event are of a unique liveliness and originality. The bright colors, the orange of the Chempasùchil, the colorful skulls, contribute to its joyful charm, anything but macabre, fearful or sad.
Day of the Dead: decorations and lavoretti fai da te a tema
If you also particularly love the Día de los Muertos, this year you could be inspired by the Mexican celebration to create some themed decorations and handmade crafts. The folklore of the world is so rich and varied, a unique heritage that it is worth knowing and preserving.
Thanks to the crafts inspired by the ancient tradition, you will have the opportunity to travel without leaving home, having a lot of fun even with the children. They will thus be able to discover new and stimulating worlds.
But what are the inevitable elements of this special occasion? First of all l'“altar of the dead“, the altar on different levels dedicated to the dead.
In addition to photos, theirs can be found there favorite dishes, salt (protection symbol), the "Bread of the dead“, Typical dessert sprinkled with sugar, candles, incense. And again i Chempasùchil, or rather the orange flowers that through their perfume guide the dead on their journey to the world of the living. But also the sugary skulls that take the name of "Calaveras de azúcar"Yes"confetti“, Paper rectangles cut out in various colors.
Papel picado: how to make the decoration of tissue paper
On the occasion of several festivals, including the Día de los Muertos, Mexicans realize papel picado, literally "perforated paper". It is a traditional Mexican art which consists in cutting colored tissue paper to make even very elaborate decorations, used on this occasion to decorate the altar of the dead. But also ideal for creating beautiful garlands to hang at home.
How is papel picado made? The following video tutorial from LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes explains it to us. Before you try, get some colored tissue paper, a pair of scissors, glue, a brush, string and a lot of patience.
Once you have mastered the technique, you can indulge yourself with increasingly original motifs and decorations, taking inspiration from the following ideas.
Calaveras de azúcar: how to make "sugar skulls" with cardboard
They are called “Calaveras de azúcar” and are sugared skulls, often given as a gift as well, used as decorative elements of the altar. The traditional recipe includes a lot of sugar, we propose you to make some DIY alternatives with commonly used materials such as cardstock. Just draw the shape of the skull on the paper (more or less large), cut it out with scissors and paint it with colors, drawing inspiration from authentic calaveras.
By combining multiple colorful skulls, you can get beautiful themed garlands.
Nichos: how to make them easy
The nichos are small artisan “sanctuaries” at the center of which images of Saints, devotional objects, for example the Sacred Heart, and other figures are placed. Sometimes made, on the occasion of the Día de los Muertos, to make mini-altars to be dedicated to the deceased loved ones. These "boxes" are traditionally made of tin or wood and decorated in a very colorful and lively way.
Happythought tells us how to make a DIY nicho inspired by Mexican folk crafts. An ideal job to do together with the children to entice them to discover this wonderful country.
To make it you need a printer, cardboard, scissors, glue, colored markers, sequins and gems for decoration.
- Print the nicho model that Happythought offers you on cardboard, then cut it out and color everything with bright colors.
- Fold and assemble the different parts following Happythought's instructions. Then stick a few more items on top of it to make the nicho even more personal.
- Also add sequins and gems.
Do you want to try to make it totally from scratch without resorting to the model to be printed? Get inspired by these simple and creative ideas.
SOURCES: Cultural heritage and tourism/CNDH Mexico
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Read also:
- Dìa de los muertos, the Mexican festival of the dead that celebrates life
- Mexican Sacred Heart: what it symbolizes and the tutorial to make it with recycled cans
- Pająki, how traditional Polish ornaments of straw and colored paper are made that bring good luck
