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This month, Global Wonders introduces an educational DVD series that encourages children to share, compare and discover the cultures of their family, friends and the world. Designed for children ages two to seven years, the DVDs engage children with stories of fun-filled play dates where everyday activities are transformed into moments of wonder and discovery. The characters as they sample food, play games, learn vocabulary words and experience a variety of cultural holidays, music and traditions.

Global Wonders was created by Rashmi Turner, a working mother and former executive at The Walt Disney Company who previously led educational productions, product development for media lines of businesses, marketing, and communications, for The Baby Einstein Company.

Learning about world cultures

With Global Wonders, children can gain a more enlightened view of the world around them. It’s also a great way to start a dialogue about different cultures if your children are the type who ask embarrassing questions like, “Why does that lady have a red dot on her head?” or “Why do those people have dark skin and talk funny?”

My children know people from India, France, Sweden, Mexico, China, Taiwan and Napal. We enjoy shopping at Asian markets and Mexican carnicerias, and frequently dine out at restaurants that serve Vietnamese pho, Chinese dim sum, Pad Thai, Japanese sushi and Baja Mexican seafood dishes.  So learning about other cultures isn’t new to our children at all though as parents, we do get our fair share of embarrassing questions.

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In case you think making sugar skulls is beyond your ability, here are some pictures my friend Michelle sent me of the sugar skulls she made this year.

As she wrote, “We always celebrate El Día de los Muertos. Celebrating for us begins on (her husband) Sean’s birthday on October 31. We continue on November 1, All Saints Day. This is the day the spirits of children are remembered. Then we wrap it with a big dinner on November 2, All Souls Day. The day the adult spirits are remembered.

“This year I am making Mole (a Mexican sauce). It’s going to take three days of cooking to get it done. But oh boy is it going to be good!! I can’t wait until 2008 when we get to go to Oaxaca. I’ve been wanting to go there since I was in high school!”

More books for El Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead:

• Pablo Remembers - for ages 9-12, this photo documentary follows Pablo and his family as they prepare to honor the memory of Pablo’s grandmother.
• Day of the Dead - for preschoolers through third graders, this book shows a Mexican family preparing for and celebrating the Day of the Dead.

Technorati tags: Halloween, Day of the Dead, Mexican Holidays

Some El Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead book recommendations:

• Felipa and the Day of the Dead - For ages 4 to 8, Felipa’s beloved grandmother, Abuelita, has died. Felipa miser her terribly and is very sad. Her parents try to comfort Felipa. They tell her that the souls of the dead live on forever. So Felipa decides to find Abuelita’s soul. But where is it? She asks her grandmother’s donkey, her pig, and her llamas for help. She treks many miles to the highest mountain, but grandmother’s soul is nowhere to be found. Then, months later, the entire village is bustling with preparations for the Day of the Dead. Felipa joins in the celebrations honoring loved ones who have died, and in the process finally finds Abuelita’s soul.
• Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book - For ages 4 to 8, this book features illustrations inspired by Mexican folk art and a short story about preparations for the Day of the Dead that includes within it an alphabet book based on the Spanish alphabet. This book emphasizes the closeness of Mexican families and the non-demonic nature of the celebrations.
• Festival of the Bones / El Festival de las Calaveras: The Book for the Day of the Dead - This bilingual book explains the Day of the Dead celebration to Americans. For ages 4 to 8.
• The Spirit of Tio Fernando: A Day of the Dead Story/El Espiritu De Tio Fernando : Una Historia Del Dia De Los Muertos - For ages 4 to 8, a young boy and his mother make preparations to remember his beloved Uncle.
• Day of the Dead: A Mexican-American Celebration - For children 9 to 12, this book follows 10-year-old twins from Sacramento, California as they tell the story of their family’s Day of the Dead celebrations.

Technorati tags: Halloween, Day of the Dead, Mexican Holidays

A favorite activity during El Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead celebrations is the making of sugar skulls.

According to MexicanSugarSkull.com:

Sugar Skulls are a traditional folk art from Southern Mexico used to celebrate Day of the Dead. Mounds of colorful sugar skulls are sold by Indian vendors in open air village markets during the week preceding the holiday. Spirits of the dead are welcomed back to their homes with beautifully decorated altars made by their loved ones.

Sugar skulls, marigolds, candles, incense and special foods adorn home altars. Families take the flowers and sugar skulls to the cemetery to decorate the tombs on November 2. Sugar skulls are colorfully decorated with icing, pieces of bright foil, colored sugars and usually bear the name of the deceased loved one being honored. They are easy to make by children and adults, and if kept dry, they can last a year.

Go to their website for a a sugar skull recipe and how-to-make instructions. They also sell sugar skull molds and Day of the Dead t-shirts and fabrics.

Mexico observes a different sort of Halloween. From pre-Columbian times, El Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead, has been celebrated in Mexico and other Latin countries. It is not scary or sad, instead the Day of the Dead is a beautiful ritual in which Mexicans happily and lovingly remember their deceased relatives. The holiday is celebrated on November 1-2.

Two traditional recipes for El Día de los Muertos are Pan de Muerto and Calabaza en Tacha.

Calabaza en Tacha

Ingredients:

1. One 4-5 lbs pumpkin
2. Approximately 8 cinnamon sticks
3. Juice of 1 orange
4. 4 cups water
5. 2 lbs Piloncillo (Available in Hispanic markets or the Hispanic section of your supermarket. Otherwise you can use brown or raw sugar)

Directions:

1. Cut the pumpkin into medium (2½” to 3″ squares or triangles). Remove seeds and strings. With a sharp knife make diamond designs over the pulp.
2. Put the sugar in a pan with the cinnamon, orange juice, and water. Bring to a boil and stir until the piloncillo has dissolved.
3. Place the first layer of pieces of pumpkin upside down so they absorb as much juice as possible. The second layer should be with the pulp upwards. Cover and simmer. When ready the top of the pumpkin pieces should look somewhat glazed, and the pulp soft and golden brown.
4. Let cool and serve with the syrup. You can also add cold evaporated milk. You may want to eat after after the pumpkin has been in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Thanks to Inside-Mexico.com for the information and recipes.