La Muerte al ritmo del la Vida

Service Description

La muerte al ritmo de la vida Level: B2–C2 (Upper Intermediate and Advanced) · Format: 4 sessions, 1 hour each, max 3 participants, online via Zoom In Mexico, death is not only mourned. It is sung, painted, joked about, and welcomed home with a table full of the foods our loved ones enjoyed. In this tertulia, you will analyze, discuss, and debate how Mexicans live Día de Muertos through four of its most powerful cultural expressions: the playful skeleton, the elegant Catrina, the legend that still echoes through rivers and songs, and the altar that welcomes our dead home. Each participant receives different preparation materials (texts, images, songs, or short videos) from the teacher, so every conversation brings new perspectives to the table. Expect a lively, advanced-level exchange with room for nuance, opinion, and humor, just like the holiday itself. Session 1 · La Calaca The skeleton as the star of the celebration. We explore José Guadalupe Posada's engravings and the calaveritas literarias, the satirical verses Mexicans write about the living as if they were already dead. Why do Mexicans laugh at death, and what does that humor say about how we see life? Session 2 · La Catrina How a satirical engraving mocking social pretension, La Calavera Garbancera, became a national icon after Diego Rivera gave her a name and a place in his famous mural. We discuss what she means today, from face painting to global pop culture: is the Catrina still subversive, or has she become a costume? Session 3 · La Llorona The legend of the weeping woman, told across Mexico and Latin America, and the song of the same name rooted in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca. We compare versions, interpret lyrics, and talk about the role of music in these days of remembrance and celebration. Session 4 · El Altar The heart of Día de Muertos. We look at the symbolism behind each element of the ofrenda (cempasúchil, copal, water, salt, pan de muerto, photographs) and the personal choices behind every altar. You will also share how your own culture remembers its dead.