Pixar’s movie Coco, currently on Netflix, was a hit at Rootstech 2018. It is a family movie about a boy’s adventure with Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. Dia de Los Muertos is celebrated October 31 – November 2. The movie Coco shows how essential it is that we remember our ancestors and build a connection that goes beyond names and dates.
On the FamilySearch Blog is an article “Dia de Muertos: A Day to Honor Your Ancestors” by Jose Lopez. He tells about how his family in Guatemala would fly kites to “symbolize sending messages to loved ones who have left this life.” Another tradition was the decorating the tombs of ancestors. Many add flowers and skulls to their ancestor’s graves. Families would clean the graves and decorate them with not only marigolds but photos, mementos, and the ancestor’s favorite food. This was done to attract the spirits of deceased ancestors whom they believe visits them during this festival.
Dia de Los Muertos is a great time to remember our ancestors and preserve their memories. We can share stories about our ancestors and add those stories to FamilySearch. We can scan photos to share by adding them to FamilySearch; or use the Memories app for on-the-spot sharing. It would be easy to make this Day of the Dead a day to add memories to FamilySearch and make it an annual tradition.
An important part of the Day of the Dead is the Ofrenda. An Ofrenda is a display that families create to honor their ancestors; it helps keep their memories alive. You can honor a different ancestor each year, or several ancestors. Each Ofrenda is different so have fun with your unique design. It can be as simple as pictures of parents, grandparents, great grandparents, along with some types of food and drink they enjoyed. Some people include on their Ofrenda Marigolds, candles and of course sugar skulls. You might get creative and add the name of your ancestor across the forehead of the skull. Pinterest has new and fun ideas of how people assemble their family’s Ofrenda.
Dia de Los Muertos is an excellent opportunity to honor and pay tribute to the lives of our deceased loved ones by keeping their memories alive. This is an occasion to create fun memories with your children and grandchildren, let your hair down and have a party!
On the FamilySearch Blog is an article “Dia de Muertos: A Day to Honor Your Ancestors” by Jose Lopez. He tells about how his family in Guatemala would fly kites to “symbolize sending messages to loved ones who have left this life.” Another tradition was the decorating the tombs of ancestors. Many add flowers and skulls to their ancestor’s graves. Families would clean the graves and decorate them with not only marigolds but photos, mementos, and the ancestor’s favorite food. This was done to attract the spirits of deceased ancestors whom they believe visits them during this festival.
Dia de Los Muertos is a great time to remember our ancestors and preserve their memories. We can share stories about our ancestors and add those stories to FamilySearch. We can scan photos to share by adding them to FamilySearch; or use the Memories app for on-the-spot sharing. It would be easy to make this Day of the Dead a day to add memories to FamilySearch and make it an annual tradition.
An important part of the Day of the Dead is the Ofrenda. An Ofrenda is a display that families create to honor their ancestors; it helps keep their memories alive. You can honor a different ancestor each year, or several ancestors. Each Ofrenda is different so have fun with your unique design. It can be as simple as pictures of parents, grandparents, great grandparents, along with some types of food and drink they enjoyed. Some people include on their Ofrenda Marigolds, candles and of course sugar skulls. You might get creative and add the name of your ancestor across the forehead of the skull. Pinterest has new and fun ideas of how people assemble their family’s Ofrenda.
Dia de Los Muertos is an excellent opportunity to honor and pay tribute to the lives of our deceased loved ones by keeping their memories alive. This is an occasion to create fun memories with your children and grandchildren, let your hair down and have a party!
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