Mr. Robert Kelleher and Ms. Christine Byma crafted a lesson for the most recent Bhutanese refugee children's group about the Day of the Dead. The lesson started with a discussion about monarch butterflies and their migration to Mexico at the start of November. Children discussed what it means to migrate, as most of them have experienced this or heard the stories of their parents' migration. The monarch butterflies often arrive at the time of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration November 2nd. Some believe these butterflies carry the souls of those who have passed on and have come back to visit. In celebration and in honor of the ancestors, families create skulls made of sugar and flowers as symbols of death and the afterlife to place on alters. Bhutanese children created skulls made of model magic, feathers and colored pens to symbolize their celebrations of ancestors who have passed. In future groups, the artists will dive deeper into conversations with children about their past, their ancestors and what they've learned from them to apply to their own lives.
