VGCC Library Services: Día de los Muertos: Home

Video

Dia de los Muertos: A Brief History
A website on the history and traditions of the holiday from the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
Dia de los Muertos: A Brief Overview
A video history of the origins of Day of the Dead.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) | Credo Reference
Encyclopedia entry describing some of the symbols and traditions surrounding the Day of the Dead.
History of Day of the Dead ~ Día de los Muertos
A good description of how the holiday came to be. The page also includes a couple of fact sheets and links to other information.
Los Dias de los Muertos (the Days of the Dead)
Information about the holiday's history and traditions, and comparisons to other, similar traditions.
National Geographic: Dia de los Muertos
Information, pictures, and vocabulary on Dia de los Muertos.
Wikipedia: Day of the Dead
General information about the holiday and the ways it is celebrated in different parts of the world.

Day of the Dead 5k
Information about a 5k race held in Raleigh to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.
Dia de Muertos with Peter Marin
Raleigh artist Peter Marin talks about what Dia de Muertos means to him.

All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (Europe)
Holidays observed by Catholics and several other branches of Christianity which immediately follow Halloween and honor the dead.
Beyond Halloween: 9 Macabre Festivals Around the World
Short descriptions of holidays in different countries that are similar to Halloween and Day of the Dead.
Chuseok (Korea)
Describes the holiday of Chuseok, which includes traditions of honoring ancestors and maintaining family graves as well as dancing and wrestling contests.
Hungry Ghost Festival (China)
Describes a Chinese festival that seeks to appease angry spirits.
Obon Festival (Japan)
Describes the traditions of a Japanese festival for honoring the ancestors.
Pitru Paksha (India)
The Hindu tradition of "Fortnight of the Ancestors."
Qingming Festival (China)
Describes the Chinese holiday of Qingming, or "Tomb-Sweeping Day," a celebration to honor a family's ancestors.

Decoración recicla tus platos desechables día de muertos Halloween manualidades
A video in Spanish on how to make Day of the Dead crafts from recycled items.
Flores de cempasuchitl
A video in Spanish on how to make paper marigolds.
Halloween Origami- Sugar Skull: Calavera en origami
A video tutorial on how to make an origami skull for the Day of the Dead.
How to make papel picado calaveras
Video tutorial on how to make papel picado skulls.
Mascaras de calaverias de Dia de Muerto con platos de papel
A video tutorial demonstrating how to make calavera masks from paper plates.
Papel Picado-Tissue Paper Banners
A video tutorial on how to make papel picado crafts.

"Giant Calavera de la Catrina in the Zocalo" by Randal Sheppard via flickr. Used under a CC BY-SA license.

Day Of The Dead, Decoded: A Joyful Celebration Of Life And Food
Description of the food and objects used to make the altars for the Day of the Dead.
Day of the Dead Symbols
Pictures and descriptions of common symbols associated with the holiday.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead): Holiday Symbols and Customs
Identifies common symbols and customs for the Day of the Dead.
José Guadalupe Posada: Creator of La Catrina
A biography of the creator of "La Catrina."
La Catrina: Mexico's grande dame of death
Details the history and significance of "La Catrina."

Contact:

Main: (252) 738-3279
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Franklin: (252) 738-3606
Warren: (252) 738-3686