Seven Arrows School, which includes kindergarten through sixth grade, celebrated El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) on November 3.
Students learned about one of Mexico’s most celebrated rituals—a colorful, sacred and happy holiday that honors the deceased and one’s ancestors.
The celebration began in the morning with student performances that reflected their research into the his- tory and tradition of Spanish-speaking cultures around the globe.
Students explored the tradition’s 3,000-year-old history, which is filled with marigolds (the flowers of the dead), muertos (the bread of the dead), sugar skulls, cardboard skeletons, tissue-paper decorations, fruit and nuts, incense and other traditional foods and decorations.
Seven Arrows children also study the customs of the ancient Mexican settlers.
Students were encouraged to make the connection by sharing photos and stories of deceased loved ones. They created Spanish art, authentic skulls and elaborately adorned altars, transforming the school on La Cruz Drive.
The day was filled with performances, such as the one given by sixth graders, who performed a cumbia song. Cumbia is a dance-oriented music genre popular throughout Latin America, which began as a courtship dance practiced among the African population on the Caribbean coasts of Colombia and Panama.
The evening culminated with an authentic street fiesta featuring art, music, dance and traditional food.
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