Day of the DeadBy: Hannah, Luma and Aisha

When??• Mexico celebrates a yearly tradition

called Day of the Dead during the last days of October and the first days of November. Due to the duration of this festivity and the way people get involved. It is a ritual known today as Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

Why?• Indigenous people believed that souls

did not die and that they continued living in Mictlan, a special place to rest. In this place, the spirits rest until the day they could return to their homes to visit their relatives. Before the Spaniards arrived, they celebrated the return of the souls between the months of July and August.

About Catrinas• For centuries the inhabitants of Mexico

have created fascinating folk art expressions of the Day of the Dead: magnificently decorated skulls and catrinas, fabulous candelabra, trees of life and  attractive skeletons.  Skilful artists transform wood, clay, tin and paper into wonderful  Day of the Dead sculptures many inspired by Jose Guadalupe Posada.

Why & when are the Caretas are worn?

• The Caretas (masks) worn at the end of the celebrations to scare the dead away from their altars. The style and sentiment in Posada's work fueled an artistic movement in the years following his death in 1913. Muralists Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, who became heavyweights in the Mexican art community, both named Posada as a major influence on their work.

• Day of the Dead art is alive with smiling skulls in kaleidoscope colors, doused in a deluge of decorative and detailed designs. It is a vibrant art of colors and chaos. Look at the skull art on this page. What do you see: evil skull drawings or benelovent beings? Sweet or sinister smiles? The answer may depend on how you interpret death.Day of the Dead artwork is not meant to be scary. Just the opposite - this artwork is meant to celebrate the spirit and honor the memory of those who have passed.

Bibliography• http://www.ddfolkart.com/• http://www.dayofthedead.com/• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead• http://media.photobucket.com/image/day%20of%20the%20dead/aco

otis/Day%20of%20the%20Dead/Day_of_the_Dead.jpg

• http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/articles/dead-history3.html#ixzz14VYFpMSu

• http://www.thaneeya.com/pages/shop/prints/shop-prints-ab1.htm• http://www.art-is-fun.com/day-of-the-dead-art.html#ixzz14VcgKThH• http://s5.thisnext.com/media/230x230/Frenzy-Art-Day-of-the-Dead-

Art_5D5B189B.jpg• http://diadelosmuertos.us/images/63.jpg