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Day of The Dead Comprehension Questions MA

The document contains 10 comprehension questions about the Day of the Dead celebration. It asks about the origin and timing of the festivity in Mexico and Central America, traditions like visiting graves and altars called ofrendas, and compares it to other celebrations honoring the deceased like Halloween and Finados in Brazil.

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Paul Emmison
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124 views

Day of The Dead Comprehension Questions MA

The document contains 10 comprehension questions about the Day of the Dead celebration. It asks about the origin and timing of the festivity in Mexico and Central America, traditions like visiting graves and altars called ofrendas, and compares it to other celebrations honoring the deceased like Halloween and Finados in Brazil.

Uploaded by

Paul Emmison
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Day of the Dead Comprehension Questions

1. What is Day of the Dead?

2. When is Day of the Dead celebrated?




3. Where does the Day of the Dead festivity originate from?




4. Who is the ‘Lady of the Dead’?




5. Name three things that people do on Day of the Dead.




6. What is an ofrenda?


7. What is papel picado and how is it used?




1 of 2
Day of the Dead Comprehension Questions

8. What is Finados?

9. Where does the celebration of Halloween come from?

10. What other festivities are there that remember the dead? Name two.

2 of 2
Day of the Dead Comprehension Questions Answers
1. What is Day of the Dead?
Day of the Dead is a three day celebration in which the dead are remembered with festivities and
prayers in Mexico.

2. When is Day of the Dead celebrated?


It is a three day celebration from October 31st to November 2nd. Students may mention the
names of the different days in their answers.

3. Where does the Day of the Dead festivity originate from?


The Day of the Dead festivity originates from pre-Columbian times. It probably came from the
Aztec festival for the goddess Mictecacihuatl.

4. Who is the ‘Lady of the Dead’?


The original Lady of the Dead was the Aztec goddess Mictecacihuatl but the artist Posada also
created La Calavera Caterina, who is a skeleton dressed in the clothes of an upper-class woman
of 19th century Mexico which acted as a memento mori (remember you must die) to the people
of Mexico.

5. Name three things that people do on Day of the Dead.


A variety of answers may appear here that may include: The decoration of graves and tombs,
ofrendas or altars in the house, picnics by the graveside of loved ones and the telling of stories
about their relatives.

6. What is an ofrenda?
This is a private altar, often set up at the graveside or in the home. It is used to offer up food and
drink to the spirits of the ancestors – in other cultures a spirit house might be used.

7. What is papel picado and how is it used?


Papel picado is the folk art in which thin sheets of paper are perforated (cut) to create designs.
These are strung up as banners for the celebrations.

8. What is Finados?
This is the Brazilian festival for the dead, celebrated at the same time as the Mexican one.

9. Where does the celebration of Halloween come from?


Halloween probably comes from the Celtic celebration of Samhain when it was believed that the
dead walked the earth. People protected themselves by wearing masks, which led to the tradition
of costume wearing on this day.

10. What other festivities are there that remember the dead? Name two.
Students might mention Oban, Memorial Day or Remembrance Day here.

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