Looking for a fun day out with the children in Leiden this autumn? Come and experience the Day of the Dead at Wereldmuseum. During this Mexican festival, families welcome their deceased loved ones with flowers, music and treats. Make your own papel picado (colourful garlands) and calaveras (tin skulls and skeletons) and learn about the celebration through various stories. This way, you’ll practise new techniques and create beautiful decorations for the festival.
During Día de Muertos, you’ll see colourful skulls and skeletons everywhere, called calaveras. They are part of the celebrations and symbolise that there is life after death. Would you like to make something yourself for the Day of the Dead? Come to Wereldmuseum and make your own calaveras from tins this holiday.
During Día de Muertos, Mexican streets and homes are decorated with colourful garlands featuring motifs of flowers, bones and skulls. These garlands are called papel picado, which means ‘perforated coloured paper’. What will you use to decorate your papel picado?
Listen to the story of Benito and his dog Perro. Together, we’ll explore how memories, objects and small gestures take on a special meaning during Día de Muertos. A heart-warming story about friendship, loss, and the people and animals who will always have a place in your heart.
The bright orange Cempasúchil is inseparable from Día de Muertos. But how did this flower become the symbol of the celebration? Delve into a centuries-old love story and find out why its scent and colour still hold special significance.
Listen to our museum teacher and delve into the history and meaning of Día de Muertos. From ancient traditions to colourful altars: how did this special celebration come about, and why does remembrance still play such an important role?
Pay tribute to your deceased loved ones at the altar. At Wereldmuseum Leiden, you’ll find a colourful death altar. This altar plays an important role during the Día de Muertos celebrations. Officially, this is a Catholic holiday, but the way the day is celebrated is also influenced by other traditions. For example, there are influences from the Aztec festival Miccailhuitl, during which food and drinks are placed on the graves of the deceased. This custom continues to this day. Join us and pay tribute to your deceased loved ones too.
