For my family the closer we get to the end of #October and #Halloween and the #Holidays that follow, I’ve been learning about holidays I didn’t even think about that I thought you and your families might be interested in. Before I get started, I’m going to tell you something, and I wonder how many of you are going to understand exactly what I’m talking about.
I’m in my 60s, and I don’t remember Día de los Muertos being something we talked about when I was growing up. I don’t remember seeing it everywhere when my daughter Suzzane was little, either. She was born in 1988 and passed away in 2004. Then I was raising Charlie, who was born in 2007, and I still don’t remember seeing this holiday talked about the way it seems to be today.
Now I’m seeing colorful skulls, decorations, T-shirts, and all kinds of things in stores, and I’m asking myself, What exactly is Día de los Muertos? Then I find other things celebrating #DayofTheDead, and I find myself asking, are they the same holidays? Then I ask myself, where did it come from? And when did it become so popular here in America?
That brought me back to my own family. I begin to wonder if David knows much about it. Then I thought about my mother-in-law. Does she know anything about it? Then I find myself wondering if Charlie and his friends know what the holiday means if I asked them. Honestly, I don’t know. And I’m not going to sit here and pretend I do.
Maybe some of you grew up knowing all about Día de los Muertos and you celebrate it with your family every year. But I have a feeling there are other people who, like me, have seen it appearing in stores and wondered what it’s all about. And that got me thinking about something else.
If I’m curious, how many other parents and grandparents are curious, too? How many children see these decorations without knowing the history behind them? And how can we help our families learn about a holiday that may be new to us? That’s why I wanted to research this subject for Greatful Moments.
I don’t believe we have to celebrate every holiday to learn about it. But I do believe we can teach our children to be curious about the world, to respect traditions that are important to other families, and to understand that something unfamiliar isn’t necessarily something to fear or dismiss.
So let’s start at the beginning. What is Día de los Muertos? How far back does its history go? Why has it become more visible in the United States? And what can our families learn from taking the time to understand it? Because before I share books, recipes, crafts, or movie-night ideas, I want us to know what we’re learning about and why it matters which can help families #Homeschooling there families.
Let’s begin with the words themselves, because this is one of the things I think we need to teach our children. Día de los Muertos is Spanish for “Day of the Dead.” These are not two separate holidays. One is the Spanish name, and the other is its English translation. You may also see the name written as Día de Muertos, which is another common way of referring to the observance.
Now, think about how often we hear words from another language without knowing what they mean. If I’m speaking English and my Spanish-speaking neighbor tells me that her family is preparing for Día de los Muertos, how am I supposed to know what she’s talking about if I’ve never learned those words?
I might recognize the decorations in a store. I might have seen a colorful skull on a T-shirt. But recognizing a picture and understanding a tradition are two entirely different things. That is why learning the name matters. It gives us a starting point for understanding what someone is talking about and asking thoughtful questions.
We can begin by teaching children a few simple words: Día means day. De means of. Los means the, in this plural masculine phrase. Muertos means dead people or the dead. Together, Día de los Muertos means Day of the Dead. I didn’t know this. Did you?
Now, we don’t have to become fluent in Spanish to learn what a holiday is called. But learning the name helps us recognize it, understand conversations about it, and show respect when someone shares a tradition that matters to their family. And there is something else worth understanding: Día de los Muertos is not simply another name for Halloween.
Día de los Muertos is a tradition most strongly associated with Mexico. It is a time when families remember loved ones who have died, honor their lives, and maintain connections with family members who are no longer here. I can relate to that because of Suzzane. Can you?
Rather than being only a solemn occasion, many observances are colorful, personal, and filled with food, flowers, photographs, music, stories, and memories. The details depend on the family, community, and region. Not everyone celebrates in the same way, and not every Mexican family observes the holiday.
For many families, remembrance is expressed through an ofrenda. This is an offering or carefully arranged display that may include photographs of deceased loved ones, candles, flowers, favorite foods, and other meaningful items. Another #teachingmoment for my family.
The purpose is not simply to decorate a table. These objects help families remember particular people: who they were, what they loved, and the place they continue to hold in family history. The National Museum of American History describes Día de los Muertos as a time to commemorate loved ones through traditions that include pre-Hispanic roots. The Smithsonian also explains that the holiday draws on Indigenous traditions and later Catholic influences. These are important parts of its history, not details we should leave out when teaching children about the celebration. Sources: Smithsonian Institution and National Museum of American History.
One reason I wanted to learn more about this holiday is that I wondered whether it was something recently created or whether it had a much longer history. It turns out that Día de los Muertos has roots going back centuries, with connections to Indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica, the historical region that includes much of present-day Mexico and parts of Central America.
Indigenous peoples, including the Aztec and Maya, had traditions for honoring the dead. These practices did not all look alike, and we should not treat the many Indigenous cultures of the region as if they shared one identical ceremony. Another #teachingmoment for my family as we could research the Aztec and Maya’s.
When Spanish colonizers arrived, Catholic beliefs and observances became part of the history. The remembrance traditions that developed over time became intertwined with All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2 in the Western Catholic calendar.
This history is more complicated than saying one group invented the holiday on a particular day. Indigenous traditions, Spanish colonial influence, Catholic observances, and local customs all contributed to the traditions that developed in Mexico. It is also important to remember that a tradition can change over time without losing its importance.
Families and communities carry customs forward, adapt them, and give them meaning across generations. That is one reason we should be careful about reducing Día de los Muertos to colorful decorations. There is a long cultural history behind what we see. Source: Smithsonian American Art Museum — The Transformation of Día de los Muertos in the United States.
Día de los Muertos is commonly observed on November 1 and 2. Preparations and related activities may begin earlier, including on October 31, depending on the family and community. November 1 is often associated with remembering children who have died, sometimes referred to as Día de los Angelitos, or Day of the Little Angels. November 2 is commonly associated with remembering adults who have died.
These are common patterns, not universal rules. Local traditions differ, and families may observe the dates in their own ways. You may also hear about All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day during this time. They are related historically to the calendar in which Día de los Muertos developed, but they are distinct Christian observances—not simply alternative names for the Mexican holiday.
This is another useful lesson for children: two observances can occur around the same time and influence one another without being exactly the same. If you have seen Día de los Muertos decorations in stores, you may have noticed that the imagery looks different from the pumpkins, ghosts, and witches commonly associated with Halloween.
These objects have meaning within the tradition, although their use varies from place to place.
Ofrendas: These memorial displays may include photographs, candles, food, flowers, and treasured belongings. They help families remember specific people and honor their place in family life. I think I will see if David and his mom want to make one for Pa David’s dad. Would you like to join us?
Marigolds: Often bright orange or yellow, these flowers are widely associated with Día de los Muertos. In many traditions, their color and fragrance are believed to help guide the spirits of loved ones. That is cool because now, I know what type of Flower to add to the memorial garden were creating.
Sugar skulls: These decorative skulls are associated with remembrance and the holiday’s distinctive artwork. Some are made as offerings or decorations, and their designs can be colorful and elaborate. A skull in this context does not automatically mean something frightening or sinister. Some Skulls can be cute. Can’t they?
Photographs: Pictures help identify and remember the people being honored. They can lead to stories about grandparents, parents, children, and other relatives who are no longer living. I can’t wait to see what photo’s David’s mom shares of Pa.
Food: Families may prepare foods their loved ones enjoyed, along with foods associated with the holiday. Pan de muerto, meaning “bread of the dead,” is a traditional sweet bread associated with the celebration in many parts of Mexico. If we had been #Homeschooling I would have had Charlie make it in our cooking class which we can still do because cooking and learning doesn’t have to stop when a child graduates.
Papel picado: These are decorative cut-paper banners often used for celebrations, including Día de los Muertos. Their colors and designs contribute to the festive setting.
Now I have a question for you. Is it worth teaching children that symbols can mean different things in different cultures? I believe so when we leanr things like how a skull may be used in one setting to frighten people, while in another it may be part of an artistic tradition centered on remembrance. We need to learn the context before deciding what something means.
Here is another question you may be asking yourself. Is Día de los Muertos Just Mexican Halloween? No. Although the two observances occur close together on the calendar, they have different histories and purposes and this is something else I want to share with you.
Halloween is October 31 and has its own history and customs, including costumes, trick-or-treating, and spooky decorations. Día de los Muertos is centered on remembering deceased loved ones and maintaining family and cultural connections with them. There can be overlap in the way people dress, decorate, or participate in public events today. That does not make the holidays interchangeable.
The Smithsonian explains that Día de los Muertos has been misunderstood in the United States, particularly because some people saw its skull and skeleton imagery and assumed it was simply another form of Halloween. Mexican American artists and activists worked to explain and preserve the holiday’s cultural meaning.
That distinction matters. If we see a skull and immediately label it Halloween decoration, we may miss what the image means to the person who created it or the family who uses it. Learning about a tradition means looking beyond its appearance and asking what it represents. Source: Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Another question I had is why does it seem so much more popular in America now? I don’t remember seeing Día de los Muertos displayed everywhere when I was growing up, when Suzzane was little, or when Charlie was little. Now I see the name and its imagery in stores, on clothing, in decorations, and in entertainment.
Does that mean the holiday is new? No. Día de los Muertos has long been important to families and communities in Mexico and to people of Mexican heritage living in the United States. A tradition does not have to be familiar to every American to have a long history.
What has changed is how visible it has become to a wider audience. The Smithsonian American Art Museum traces a significant part of that change to Mexican American, or Chicano, artists and activists in the 1970s and afterward. Artists and community organizations helped bring public celebrations, altars, parades, and artwork into community spaces. These events helped people celebrate Indigenous and Mexican heritage and educate others about the tradition.
Over time, museums, public festivals, schools, media, and popular culture brought the holiday to the attention of more people. The 2017 animated movie Coco, which centers on a Mexican family’s connection to Día de los Muertos, also introduced many viewers to elements of the tradition.
Retailers have since used the holiday’s recognizable imagery on products and decorations. That increased visibility can give people a reason to become curious, but buying a sugar-skull decoration is not the same as understanding the cultural history behind it. There isn’t one date when Día de los Muertos suddenly became popular across America. Its wider visibility developed over time, and the experience has not been the same in every community.
So I cannot say that the holiday wasn’t being celebrated when I was younger. I can say that I don’t remember encountering it in the same way I do today—and now I want to understand more about a tradition that has mattered to other families for generations. Source: Smithsonian American Art Museum — The Transformation of Día de los Muertos in the United States.
Let’s bring this back to something we can use in everyday life. Imagine you’re talking to a neighbor, a school friend, a coworker, or another parent. They mention Día de los Muertos, and you don’t know what they’re talking about. Now you have a place to begin. You know that the Spanish name means Day of the Dead, and you know that it is a remembrance tradition with deep roots in Mexico and Indigenous Mesoamerican cultures.
You don’t have to pretend you know every detail. You can ask a question. You might say, “I’ve been learning about Día de los Muertos. Would you tell me how your family observes it?” That is a much better conversation starter than assuming every family celebrates the same way or making a joke about Halloween.
We can also teach children to listen carefully when someone explains a family tradition. They may discover that a friend remembers a grandparent through photographs, prepares a special food, visits a cemetery, or participates in a community event. They may also learn that the friend does not celebrate the holiday at all.
The point isn’t to expect one neighbor to speak for an entire culture. It is to make room for people to share their own experiences. And if the conversation includes Spanish words we don’t recognize, we can ask what they mean. Learning a few words is a practical way to build understanding across languages. We do not have to know everything before we begin a conversation. We do need to be willing to learn.
Now, lets learn how children can learn about Day of the Dead? Which doesn’t have to be limited to homeschooling families. Parents, grandparents, caregivers, and children can learn together at the kitchen table, during bedtime reading, at a library, or through a local museum or cultural event.
Start with the history. Explain that Día de los Muertos is a remembrance tradition with Indigenous roots and later Catholic influences. Let children know that it is not simply Halloween with different decorations. Look at the symbols. Talk about why families may display photographs, flowers, candles, favorite foods, and other meaningful objects. Ask children what they notice, then explain that the symbols have cultural meaning.
Learn the language. Practice saying Día de los Muertos and explain that it translates to Day of the Dead. If children encounter another unfamiliar name for a holiday, encourage them to find out what the words mean. This can be a #Homeschool Lesson as a Language course.
Read together. A children’s book can give families an age-appropriate starting point for a conversation. It should be part of learning, not a substitute for understanding the wider history or the variety of ways people observe the holiday.
Explore respectfully. A library exhibit, museum program, community celebration, or educational resource from a cultural institution can help families see how traditions are practiced and explained by people who know them firsthand.
Talk about family memories. Children can learn that families remember loved ones in different ways. They can share stories, look at photographs, or ask relatives about people who came before them. They do not have to adopt another family’s religious or cultural practices to understand why remembrance matters.
And please remember that we are learning about a living tradition. We should avoid copying sacred or personal practices simply because they look pretty in a photograph. If a family or community shares its traditions publicly, we can listen, learn, and follow its guidance.
One way to continue the lesson at home is with Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life (My Little Golden Book About…), written by Polo Orozco and illustrated by Mirelle Ortega. This Little Golden Book was published by Golden Books on August 13, 2024. It is a 24-page hardcover picture book intended for young children. The publisher describes it as an introduction to the holiday, including the remembrance of loved ones and familiar elements such as favorite foods, marigolds, and sugar skulls.
You can find the publisher’s information here: Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life — Penguin Random House This is a book families can consider reading together as they begin learning about the holiday. I am sharing it as a learning resource, not as a personal review of a book I have read.
After reading, ask your children what they learned, which symbols they remember, and what questions they still have. Because one picture book cannot represent every family’s experience, you can use it as a starting point and continue learning from reliable cultural and educational sources.
Questions to Ask After Your Family’s Lesson: Here are a few questions parents and grandparents can use to get the conversation started:
What does Día de los Muertos mean in English? Why is it different from Halloween? What is an ofrenda, and why might a family create one? What did we learn about the history of the holiday? Why might someone use a Spanish name for a holiday when speaking English? How can we ask a neighbor about a tradition without assuming that everyone observes it the same way? What are some ways our own family remembers people we love?
You don’t have to turn this into a test. The goal is to help children think, ask questions, and understand something they may see or hear in their community.
When I started looking into Día de los Muertos, I wanted to know why I was seeing it everywhere and what I had been missing. What I learned is that this is not a new holiday created for American stores. It is a tradition with a long history, deep cultural meaning, and many different ways of being observed.
I also realized that learning starts with something as simple as understanding a name. If I hear my Spanish-speaking neighbor talk about Día de los Muertos, I now know that she is talking about the Day of the Dead. I know enough to understand the general purpose of the observance, and I know that I can ask her what it means to her family rather than assuming I already know.
That is the kind of learning I want us to encourage at Greatful Moments. We can teach our children to look beyond the decorations in a store. We can help them understand that the world is full of traditions they may not have grown up with. And we can show them that being curious about another person’s culture doesn’t mean we have to change our own beliefs or celebrate every holiday ourselves.
It means being willing to learn. Maybe David already knows more about Día de los Muertos than I think. Maybe my mother-in-law has heard about it. Maybe Charlie and his friends know the name but not the history. I still have those questions, and I may ask them.
But I don’t have to wait until everyone in my family knows about the holiday before I start learning. And neither do you.
So if you’ve seen the colorful skulls, flowers, and decorations and wondered what they mean, I hope this gives you a place to begin. Learn the name. Learn the history. Ask respectful questions. And if your children ask you something you don’t know, let that be an invitation to learn together.
Because we don’t have to know everything about every culture. But we can make the effort to understand our neighbors—and sometimes, that effort begins with learning what their words mean.
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Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed,
GreatfulMoments.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
