La Dia de los Muertos: Papel Picado
Even if you don’t celebrate Dia de los Muertos, you can still get crafty and learn something new!
A little history:
La Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebratory holiday honoring those who have passed away. Though it is celebrated so closely to Halloween, the two holidays are quite different. Beginning on November 1st, Dia de los Muertos is a unique, 2 day holiday that celebrates both life and death. Families create ofrendas (offerings), which are altars decorated with yellow marigolds, photos of loved ones who have passed and favorite foods of the family members being honored. These ofrendas encourage the souls of the dead to visit and celebrate by sharing a meal with their families like they did when they were alive!
Here are some popular symbols you may recognize in relation to Day of the Dead.
Calaveras, skulls
Often time people paint their faces, make cookies and other decorations to resemble sugar skulls. People use clay, paint or sugar to create these decorative skulls.
Marigolds
These bright yellow flowers are believed to create a path that guides the spirits to the land of the living. Marigolds are known as the flower of death.
Papel Picado
Translated to “punched paper,” this decorative element is commonly used throughout Mexico to celebrate all kinds of events. Dia de los Muertos is the perfect holiday to create papel picado and decorate for a celebration!
Here’s what you will need to create your own papel picado:
-tissue paper
-scissors
A template (optional) – I found mine here: https://www.thinkmakeshareblog.com/diy-papel-picado/
Step 1: Watch our video on how to cut your own papel picado!
Step 2: Print out a paper template and instructions. Instructions vary for each template so be sure to read each one before you give it a try!
Step 3: Hang them up!
View this post on Instagram
