Offered:

  • Once a year in the days leading up to the celebration of this festival in October each year).

Date & Time:

  • This two-day Term 4 workshop will next be held in late October 2023.

Festivals of the World Workshop: Mexico

Día de los Muertos

A two-day workshop offered in late October each year (next offering will be in Oct 2023) .We'll take a short break each night for light snacks and tea/coffee (provided). Please feel free to bring some food to share if you'd like, especially if your kids eat dinner at this time.

Description:

  • Death is inherent in life. Celebrating El Día de los muertos is an opportunity where Mexicans face this fact from a perspective of gratitude and honour for our loved ones who have already passed away. Combining cultural and religious elements, this special day passes between colors, smells, joy and nostalgia. This workshop will give us the opportunity not only to learn about this beautiful tradition but to be part of it by remembering our loved ones. This two-day, two-part workshop is offered as an in-person workshop only and has not Zoom component.

Materials:

We'll provide most of the materials needed, but you should bring some items of your own:

  • Please bring items that remind you of your loved ones that have passed away. Any small items (pictures, drawings, jewelry knickknacks, etc.) will do.

  • Any large or small cardboard boxes or shoe boxes would be very useful. Please bring along whatever you can find.

  • Please bring your own scissors.

Meet our Instructor

Spanish Instructor Susana Bazaldua Merino

Hola! My name is Susana, I am originally from Mexico. I arrived in New Zealand with my two kids and my husband in 2018. Since then, my passion has been to share the beauty of Mexican culture and the Spanish language. I have been a volunteer of Spanish in some Conversation groups, and I have started with my daughter a Mexican regional dance group called: Los Alebrijes. I have also shared the beauty of the tradition of Dia de los Muertos in the Colombian Festival Dia de los Niños in Hamilton. I studied Aeronautical Engineering and I have a Masters Degree in Mathematics Education. I have been teaching Maths to young adults of Bachelor in Engineering in Mexico for more than 20 years, and here in New Zealand I taught in an Airline Academy theoretical aviation subjects. I really like to share my knowledge and help others whether discovering Mexican culture through a joyful dance or discovering the beauty of the perfection of an equation.

Location:

All in-person classes are held at the EarthDiverse offices and classrooms located at 401 Anglesea Street, Hamilton Central, Hamilton (located just north of the Hamilton Central Bus Station) (entrance is located on the side of the building, see map below). Those looking for parking for our evening classes can park just in front of the building in any of the available car parks. Daytime parking can be found in our dedicated car parks, or free 2-hour on-street daytime parking can be found just in front of Anglesea Street.
Location

Distance Learning:

This course has no distance-learning component.

Pricing options:

Individual price is $45. Family price is based upon the numbers of family members attending (with decreasing cost per person for each additional family member). Price includes both days on this 2-day workshop, and are given in New Zealand dollars. All prices include GST + online registration fee).

Workshop Outline:

This is a 2-day workshop that covers these topics. The cost of the workshop covers both days.

  • Day 1: 27th October 2023, 5:30-8:30pm

  • • The Cycle of life: What is life? What is death?

  • • Who I would like to remember? Kids activity: do a drawing; Adult activity: write an anecdote.

  • • Powerpoint: What is El Día de los Muertos to Mexicans?

  • • Animated Short Film: “El Día de los Muertos”

  • • Activity: Cempasuchil flowers. Learn how to make Mexican marigold flowers using tissue paper.

  • Day 2: 28th October 2023, 5:30-8:30pm

  • • Short Film: “El Día de los Muertos: El Altar” - Learn the principal elements of an Altar and and how it should look.

  • • Powerpoint: How to set up an Altar

  • • Activity: Create your own Altar and set it up with traditional elements. Kids can draw their Altar and parents can take photos.

Prerequisites:

  • There are no prerequisites for this course. All ages can participate.

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