Day Of The Dead - Hispanic and Latinx Life and Culture: Dual Credit - Columbus - Ivy Tech Libraries at Ivy Tech Community College

Day Of The Dead Resources

Links to online resources that explore the origins and rituals surrounding "el Día de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead). Articles, images and video provide information about this annual commemoration and celebration.

Link to multiple search results from Indiana State Library (INSPIRE databases)
Origins of Halloween and Day of the Dead (National Endowment for the Humanities)
Each year on October 31st, as the ghosts and goblins of Halloween parade the streets and doorsteps of our neighborhoods, we re-enact remnants of ancient folk customs that pay homage to departed ancestors as well as to the souls of our loved ones who have died. These annual revivals of ancient rituals form the basis of our contemporary American festival.
Ten things to know about the Day of the Dead
The Day of the Dead originated several thousand years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other Nahua people, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful. For these pre-Hispanic cultures, death was a natural phase in life’s long continuum. The dead were still members of the community, kept alive in memory and spirit—and during Día de los Muertos, they temporarily returned to Earth.
UNESCO page about Day of the Dead
As practised by the indigenous communities of Mexico, el Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) commemorates the transitory return to Earth of deceased relatives and loved ones.

Daniela's Day of the Dead by Lisa Bullard; Holli Conger (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780761350842
Publication Date: 2012-08-01
Daniela is preparing for the Day of the Dead--the first one since her grandpa died. She makes an ofrenda with Grandpa's favorite things and toy skeletons. Her family has a party to remember Grandpa.
Day of the Dead by Julie Murray
ISBN: 9781624031823
Publication Date: 2014-01-01
Easy-to-read text paired with colorful photos and informative captions introduces readers to a cultural holiday, Day of the Dead. Readers will learn about the origin of the holiday and its Aztec roots. Traditions to honor the dead, including visiting loved ones' graves and decorating altars, are described. Also discussed are symbols and foods associated with Day of the Dead, such as skulls and pan de muerto. Features include table of contents, glossary with phonetic spellings, and index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards.Buddy Books is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Re-animating Mexicanidad: Mexican Cultural Representations in The Book of Life (2014) and Coco (2017)
In the last decade, Hollywood studios have produced two feature length animations centering on Mexico’s Dia de Los Muertos: Reel FX Creative Studios’ The Book of Life (2014) and Disney Pixar’s Coco (2017). Through their differing exploration of Mexican cultural heritage onscreen, both animations serve contrasting ideological functions that contribute to larger cultural discourse about the relationship between Mexico and the US.
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Jessica Wax-Edwards. (2020). Re-animating Mexicanidad: Mexican Cultural Representations in The Book of Life (2014) and Coco (2017). IMex. México Interdisciplinario/Interdisciplinary Mexico, 9(18), 112–129. https://doi.org/10.23692/iMex.18.8