HOW TO INCLUDE TRADITION IN DAY OF THE DEAD DÉCOR
Halloween’s around the corner, but all those coming from a Latin background prefer the Day of the Dead – Dia de Muertos! This multi-day celebration reminds them of a strong connection with their traditional background and roots, accentuating where they come from and who their family is. By honoring the dead, you basically honor your heritage and everything that you are, which is why millions consider this to be the most important holiday of the year. The Day of the Dead relies on tradition, which can be noticed in everything from clothes to food, so, if you too are in the middle of planning your celebration, here’s how you can include tradition in your holiday décor.
Step 1
The Day of the Dead - Dia de Muertos - this multi-day celebration reminds them of a strong connection with their traditional background and roots, accentuating where they come from and who their family is. By honoring the dead, you basically honor your heritage and everything that you are, which is why millions consider this to be the most important holiday of the year. The Day of the Dead relies on tradition, which can be noticed in everything from clothes to food, so, if you too are in the middle of planning your celebration, here's how you can include tradition in your holiday décor.
Wall art
The Day of the Dead is built around the skull-based imagery, but if displaying a bunch of them all over your living room sounds too hard-core, just go for a softer version - framed skull wall art. If you want to be different from everyone else, create unique pieces on your own or ask a friend who's good at drawing to help you. After doing that, you'll surely get inspired and look into more DIY projects for this holiday.
Covering the walls is quite important when it comes to interior decoration, yet not that many people pay attention to it. Instead, they focus on the smaller decorative pieces scattered all over the place and while this is great too, a wall piece is a must. Incorporating tradition in your daily life this way sounds strange at first, especially if you go for a colorful, vibrant and large picture, but it just shows your appreciation of your heritage. Finally, you can opt for several smaller pictures instead, and keep them hanging on your walls all year long, thus achieving a lasting decorating effect
Step 2
Skulls
Of course, you can't have the Day of the Dead without a couple of skulls in your home! Depending on your preferences and style, pick more or less traditional skulls that can be quite frightening or, alternatively, not scary at all. The offer is so huge that you’ll surely be able to pick something that will make you feel like you're truly honoring the tradition of your ancestors.
Nevertheless, if you really want to show how proud of your lineage you are, just make a few skulls on your own. Pick the materials you love - from clay and stone to sugar, pumpkin and even paper and cardboard, if that's your cup of tea - and carve them into any shape you prefer. After that, paint them white and add a few details here and there, and you're good to go! The greatest thing about DIY Day of the Dead projects is that you can show your creativity and basically do anything you like without being judged by anyone. You'll respect your roots and create new memories for your own family, and that's what this holiday is all about.
Step 3
Figurines
This is a mellower alternative to the ones mentioned above, yet just as appealing and traditional – small figurines displayed during the Day of the Dead celebration often depict a couple of skeletons dressed in traditional clothes, with their faces covered in appropriate patterns, and equipped with a violin or two. You can pick the style on your own and even find adorable figurines that show the modern take on the old-fashioned imagines of the Dead.
The best thing about small figurines like these is that you can place them all over your home and they'll be just as impressive and intriguing wherever you choose to put them. Lots of people combine them with other decorations and thus get a more powerful image - just imagine the aforementioned skull wall art hanging above your living room cabinet that's packed with colorful figurines.
Step 4
Food
Just like with any holiday, food plays an important role in traditional Day of the Dead celebrations, and that’s something you must never forget! From special Pan de Muerto bread and tamales dough, to candied pumpkins - Calabaza en Dulce - and hot chocolate, this is an amazing way to cook and share great food with your family. Of course, you mustn't forget different fruits and sugar skulls that bring the whole picture together and take your meals to the next level. However, since this celebration takes longer than most holidays, don't forget to store your food in a trustworthy Maytag refrigerator that's going to keep it fresh and tasty not just the morning after, but for a few more days as well.
Handing over the baton
The Day of the Dead is a family holiday that should be passed onto the next generation, so explore DIY projects with your kids - not only will you make them happy, but also have a chance to teach them more about the holiday and make sure they celebrate it with their children as well.
