Día de los Muertos Activities for Middle and High School: Exploring Celebrations Around the World

Día de los Muertos in Mexico: A Celebration of Memory and Meaning

Explore how Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico, from its Indigenous and Catholic roots to modern-day customs like altars, offerings, and sugar skulls. This lesson also looks at how the holiday has entered popular culture through films like Coco and Spectre, helping students reflect on how traditions evolve and spread globally.

🌼 Reflecting on Día de los Muertos Traditions

1. What role have movies like Spectre, Coco, and The Book of Life played in shaping how Día de los Muertos is seen around the world?
2. In what ways is Día de los Muertos a blend of Indigenous beliefs and Catholic traditions?
3. What do offerings at home altars and cemeteries tell us about the meaning of Día de los Muertos?
4. What do sugar skulls and pan de muerto represent during Día de los Muertos?
5. How has La Catrina evolved over time, and why is she such a powerful symbol of Mexican identity today?
6. How do Día de los Muertos celebrations differ between rural communities and urban cities in Mexico?
7. What surprised you most about how Día de los Muertos is celebrated, and why? (Optional reflection or exit ticket question)

China’s Hungry Ghost Festival: Honoring Spirits Through Ritual

Introduce students to China’s Hungry Ghost Festival, a Buddhist-rooted tradition where families honor ancestors and appease wandering spirits through food, incense, and rituals. This lesson explores the festival’s spiritual meaning and the customs used to connect the living and the dead. To save time, start the video at 0:45.

👻 Understanding the Beliefs Behind Ghost Month

1. What does “feeding the ghosts” during the Hungry Ghost Festival reveal about the relationship between the living and the dead?
2. What precautions do people take during ghost month to avoid vengeful spirits?
3. Which activities or taboos are avoided during ghost month, and what beliefs are behind them?
4. How do practices like burning joss paper and offering food or entertainment reflect Taoist and Buddhist beliefs?
5. What role do paper lanterns play at the end of the Hungry Ghost Festival, and how are they meant to guide spirits home?

Guatemala’s Kite Festival: Honoring Ancestors with Art in the Sky

In Guatemala, families celebrate the Day of the Dead by designing and flying giant, hand-crafted kites as a way to honor and communicate with their ancestors. This lesson introduces students to the Festival de Barriletes Gigantes and explores how each kite reflects important cultural values, beliefs, and social messages. To save time, start the video at 2:20.

🎏 What the Kites in Guatemala Tell Us About Culture

1. How does the Giant Kite Festival in Guatemala help people honor and connect with their ancestors on All Saints’ Day?
2. What do the themes and messages on the kites reveal about Guatemalan values and social issues?
3. Where did the tradition of flying giant kites come from, and how might it connect to ancient Mayan beliefs?
4. Why is the time, effort, and craftsmanship behind each kite important to the meaning of the festival?
5. What did you find most interesting or surprising about this celebration, and would you want to experience it yourself? Why or why not?

Ireland’s Samhain Festival: The Celtic Roots of Halloween

Many of today’s Halloween traditions—like costumes, lanterns, and leaving out food for spirits—can be traced back to Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival. In this lesson, students explore the roots of Samhain and how its rituals of remembrance and protection still influence celebrations today. To save time, start the video at 0:30.

🎃 Samhain, Spirits, and Seasonal Change

1. Why do people in Ireland leave out food during Samhain, and what does this gesture mean for remembering loved ones who have died?
2. What materials are used to make traditional Samhain masks, and why are these homemade masks important to the celebration?
3. How did the tradition of carving turnips into scary lanterns begin, and what has replaced turnips in modern celebrations?
4. What games or harvest activities are common during Samhain, and how do they connect to the season’s themes of abundance?
5. How do people protect their homes and families during Samhain, and what symbols or rituals are used for this protection?

Obon in Oregon: Honoring Ancestors and Celebrating Community

Obon is a Japanese Buddhist tradition that honors the spirits of ancestors through music, dance, and gathering. In Portland, Oregon, Japanese Americans of all generations come together each summer to celebrate this festival, preserve cultural identity, and strengthen community ties.

🪷 Obon and the Power of Cultural Memory

1. How do Japanese Americans in Portland celebrate Obon, and why is it meaningful for their community?
2. What role did first-generation Japanese immigrants (Issei) play in bringing Obon to the U.S., and how has the tradition changed over time?
3. How does Obon help Japanese Americans reconnect with their heritage and strengthen cultural identity across generations?
4. What is the Minidoka swing band, and how does music help preserve the history of Japanese Americans during World War II?
5. Why is it important to pass on traditions like Obon to younger generations, and how can events like this shape identity and belonging?

Honoring the Dead Around the World: What Do These Traditions Teach Us?

From Día de los Muertos in Mexico to Obon in Portland, cultures around the world honor ancestors through meaningful rituals, symbols, and celebrations. These festivals may look different, but they all reflect shared values of remembrance, respect, and connection across generations.

How do your students honor loved ones or keep family memories alive? Invite them to share their stories or traditions in class—or in the comments below.