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La Calavera Catrina leads a parade in Mexico City. Catrina was first drawn in the early 1900s. Some years later, the artist Diego Rivera painted her in a mural. She became a famous Day of the Dead symbol. Some women dress up like Catrina for Day of the Dead. They paint skulls on their faces and wear fancy dresses.
Candy skulls are made by mixing sugar, hot water, and lemon. Each skull represents the spirit of a loved one. Sometimes that person’s name is written on the forehead. The skulls come in different sizes. Small ones are for children. Larger ones stand for adults. Some families place the skulls on the ofrenda. Others use them to decorate graves.
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Making Connections
Text-to-Self
Do you find skeletons scary? Why or why not?
Text-to-Text
Have you read books about other holidays that people celebrate? What do they have
in common with Day of the Dead? How are they different?
Text-to-World
Skulls and skeletons are some of the symbols of Day of the Dead. What is one holiday you celebrate? What are some common symbols of that holiday?
Teacher Resources
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