Christians only please? Dia de los muertos school assinment?

I can see your concern. We haven't practiced halloween for about 4 years now on after my oldest daughter did research on its background and told us she didn't like what it's history was. I took her lead on it and now we simply put up fall decorations and simply distance ourselves from it. I have to say though, even as a Christian, it wasn't until lately that we felt it inappropriate to celebrate it. You have to keep in mind some people who may be good Christians don't understand the history or aren't at a place in their faith to feel the same as you.

My "advise" is to make a simple display honoring a deceased love one but label it something else, in spanish. A memorial or a family history board, written in spanish. If you need to explain to the teacher that you chose not to celebrate halloween, but I wouldn't make a huge fuss, you don't want to push people away.

Here is a website on "ofrenda" http://www.inside-mexico.com/ofrenda.htm

Hope that helps!

edit to add: I thought you where talking about "halloween," sorry! I still would just explain your concerns without making a big deal about it. But show that you did research on ofrenda and because of what you found you didnt want to involve the memory of your loved one in it. That is point of the assignment isn't it?

Don't feel so guilty; you know, many vestiges of pagan practices still lurk in Christian rituals. Holy Communion in the Catholic church is directly based on ancient Roman ceremonies that brought honor to Ceres and Dionysus. "But I'm not a crazy Catholic!", you respond. Very well, how about Easter? Don't you ever wonder why rabbits and eggs are at the forefront? It sounds very pagan to me... not to mention the Christmas tree--ask your pastor about the history of bringing a tree into the house and decorating it with eggshells at the start of Winter.

My problem with these lessons is that Spanish class becomes multicultural awareness class and no Spanish grammar or vocabulary are learned. It is a good way to get students interested; but monitor the lesson and see that it is primarily a language lesson and not a general Catholic or Mexican culture lesson.

Don't Christians believe in the eternal soul of humankind? Then what's all the fuss about? You honor someone's soul up in Heaven with a burial and an idol called a tombstone; all these "legitimate Christian" rituals you all try to separate from pagan culture were originally pagan. They are heavily dressed up in Christian garments; but you can't stop the heathen original from showing through. Jesus was part of history, and he came along after a lot of stuff was already established in the West, let alone the East. We have to face up to the fact that there is no privileged viewpoint from which to judge culture.

What is the harm in putting up a photo of a deceased relative and putting up some of their old things? Or making some bread? It sounds quite harmless to me, and I don't know why you automatically see this as an offering to the spirits. Why don't you just view it as respecting and acknowledging your relatives? Or, what, Christians don't do that?

This isn't that serious, to be honest. It'll take you all of 5 minutes to find a picture, put up some things about it, take a photo and then take it back down. I think the problem is you, that you're viewing it as something bad and "evil." Change your perspective on it and it will be fine.

I am not sure how the assingment was worded, but when I did a project on dia de los muertos, it was NOT done in a religious manner. Spanish speaking people are mostly christian anyway, and this holiday is no exception. It may not be a holiday you are familiar with, but it is certaintly a Christian based ceremony.

It sounds like a memorial for All Souls Day [Nov 2 ].