HELL YEAH, ENGLISH
The Day of the Dead
Nicola Jaruzel
start
– What comes to your mind when you hear the word death? – How do people in your culture usually honour the dead? – Do you think Western culture is afraid of death? Why or why not? – What’s your opinion on turning dark or tragic topics (like death) into celebrations? – Have you ever taken part in a festival or ritual that celebrates ancestors or the afterlife?
WARM UP
continue
VOCABULARY
Día de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a vibrant Mexican tradition that turns the concept of mourning on its head. Celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, it reflects a worldview where death is not an end but a continuation - a passage between realms. Families build elaborate ofrendas (altars) adorned with marigolds, candles, sugar skulls, and the favourite dishes of the departed, inviting their spirits to return for a brief reunion. The air fills with the scent of copal incense and the sound of music, blending the sacred and the festive. Parades, painted faces, and laughter coexist with quiet remembrance. Rather than focusing on grief, the holiday embraces death as an intrinsic, even beautiful, part of life. It’s a celebration of memory, love, and continuity — a reminder that those we’ve lost still walk beside us, at least for one luminous night.
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VIDEO
continue
– What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned from the video?
– How does the speaker’s attitude toward death differ from your culture’s?
– What emotions does this celebration evoke, and why?
DISCUSS
continue
– How is Día de los Muertos similar to or different from Halloween?– Which celebration do you think has a deeper cultural meaning? Imagine your city adopted Día de los Muertos. How would it look? What traditions would people create?
DISCUSS
continue
Choose one tradition from your culture that connects to memory, ancestors, or death. Explain it and compare it to Día de los Muertos
Imagine the boundary between the living and the dead opens for one night every year. What rules should exist for that night? Who would you visit — or avoid?
You’re a marketing executive selling a product that promises symbolic immortality — memory that never fades. Pitch it to me.
Modern society often treats death as taboo. Imagine you’re in charge of changing its public image. How would you rebrand it — slogan, campaign, visuals, message?
BONUS TASKS
Happy Day of the Dead
The Day of the Dead
Nicola Jaruzel
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Transcript
HELL YEAH, ENGLISH
The Day of the Dead
Nicola Jaruzel
start
– What comes to your mind when you hear the word death? – How do people in your culture usually honour the dead? – Do you think Western culture is afraid of death? Why or why not? – What’s your opinion on turning dark or tragic topics (like death) into celebrations? – Have you ever taken part in a festival or ritual that celebrates ancestors or the afterlife?
WARM UP
continue
VOCABULARY
Día de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a vibrant Mexican tradition that turns the concept of mourning on its head. Celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, it reflects a worldview where death is not an end but a continuation - a passage between realms. Families build elaborate ofrendas (altars) adorned with marigolds, candles, sugar skulls, and the favourite dishes of the departed, inviting their spirits to return for a brief reunion. The air fills with the scent of copal incense and the sound of music, blending the sacred and the festive. Parades, painted faces, and laughter coexist with quiet remembrance. Rather than focusing on grief, the holiday embraces death as an intrinsic, even beautiful, part of life. It’s a celebration of memory, love, and continuity — a reminder that those we’ve lost still walk beside us, at least for one luminous night.
1/3
1/3
2/3
2/3
3/3
3/3
VIDEO
continue
– What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned from the video? – How does the speaker’s attitude toward death differ from your culture’s? – What emotions does this celebration evoke, and why?
DISCUSS
continue
– How is Día de los Muertos similar to or different from Halloween?– Which celebration do you think has a deeper cultural meaning? Imagine your city adopted Día de los Muertos. How would it look? What traditions would people create?
DISCUSS
continue
Choose one tradition from your culture that connects to memory, ancestors, or death. Explain it and compare it to Día de los Muertos
Imagine the boundary between the living and the dead opens for one night every year. What rules should exist for that night? Who would you visit — or avoid?
You’re a marketing executive selling a product that promises symbolic immortality — memory that never fades. Pitch it to me.
Modern society often treats death as taboo. Imagine you’re in charge of changing its public image. How would you rebrand it — slogan, campaign, visuals, message?
BONUS TASKS
Happy Day of the Dead