Free, Printable Coloring Pages
Día de los Muertos Coloring Pages
Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday on November 1 and 2. Families believe the spirits of their loved ones come home for a visit, so they cook their favourite foods and fill the house with flowers. It's a happy holiday about remembering, and that's why the skeletons on this page are all smiling.
Jump to: Ofrenda | La Catrina | Costumes | Marigolds | Skeletons | Sugar Skulls
The Ofrenda: A Welcome Home Table
An ofrenda is a little welcome home table for someone who's passed away. Families set out photos and candles along with the person's favourite foods, and there's usually a glass of water too, because the spirits are said to be thirsty after their long trip back. Sweet pan de muerto (bread of the dead) is a must, and if Grandpa loved a certain candy, you can bet it's on there!
La Catrina, the Fanciest Skeleton
La Catrina started out as a joke! Over a hundred years ago, a Mexican artist drew a skeleton in a fancy feathered hat to tease people who acted grander than everyone else. His point was that under the lace and feathers we all end up as bones, so there's no use putting on airs...
Dressing Up Like a Calavera
Day of the Dead costumes aren't meant to be scary. Painting your face like a calavera (a skull) is a way of joining the dead for the night, and lots of people copy La Catrina's elegant look with lace dresses and crowns of roses or marigolds. Younger people like to mix in their own style too, so you'll see traditional embroidered skirts and sparkly modern makeup at the same party.
Marigolds Light the Way
In Mexico, bright orange marigolds are called cempasúchil, a name that comes from the old Aztec language. Their strong scent and glowing color are said to help spirits find their way home, so families scatter petals in a path from the front door (or even the cemetery) right up to the ofrenda. It's like leaving the porch light on, only much prettier!
Skeletons Having a Good Time
Day of the Dead skeletons don't creep around in the dark. They dance and play guitar and dress up in their Sunday best, because the idea is that the dead are still the same people they always were, just a lot bonier. Many of these cheerful skeletons trace back to the same artist who drew La Catrina, whose prints were full of skeletons going about their everyday lives.
Calaveras and Sugar Skulls
Sugar skulls are made by pressing sugar into a mould and decorating it with icing flowers and shiny foil. The best part is the forehead, where someone's name is written in icing. Families make them for loved ones who've passed, but they're also a friendly gift for a living friend, and nobody minds being handed their own skull on this holiday!
