I received an all-expenses-paid trip to San Francisco for the coverage of this press event for Disney•Pixar. However, all opinions are my own.
In Coco, alebrijes play a magical and significant role as spirit guides in the Land of the Dead, bringing a burst of color and imagination to the story. These fantastical creatures, inspired by Mexican folk art, help guide the souls of the dead on their journeys, and their vibrant designs are a tribute to the artistry and cultural heritage of Mexico. A few years before the movie was released, I had the chance to visit Pixar and learn about the creative process behind Coco, including the inspiration for these incredible creatures. Meeting the producer, animators, and others involved, I was amazed by the care and detail put into honoring Mexican traditions, with the alebrijes standing out as a perfect example of how the film beautifully shares the culture’s rich artistic history.
Alebrijes in the COCO Movie
In the Land of the Dead, Miguel and his faithful companion Dante encounter not only his ancestors but also their loyal guardian Pepita. Pepita is a chimera animal that’s part jaguar and part eagle and she also incorporates ram horns and a lizard-like tail.
I found Pepita to be one of the most interesting elements in the Disney•Pixar movie COCO, not only because of her beautiful design and bright, vivid colors but also because Pepita, unlike most things in the movie, doesn’t have a connection to the Day of the Dead celebration and symbols: she’s a magical creature based on Mexican folk art figures called alebrijes. Along with Pepita, there are other chimera spiritual guides but Pepita is the most predominant character among them acting as a spiritual guide of sorts for Miguel’s great-great-grandmother Mamá Imelda.
What Are Alebrijes
Alebrijes are wood sculptures of fantastical creatures. The alebrijes where first created in the 1930’s by artist Pedro Linares who was a piñata maker. During a febrile dream, Pedro dreamed up these hybrid monsters. After his dream, he started creating them out of paper mache and later made them from wood. Today alebrijes are one of Mexico’s most recognized forms of folk art. They are usually made of copal wood found in Oaxaca. The alebrije has no mythological or symbolical meaning so each alebrije is a reflection of the artists’ creativity.
The Pixar team in charge of bringing COCO to life fell in love with the bright, colorful and iconic alebrijes on one of their research trips to Mexico. They wanted to take this beautiful art and share it with the world and cast a giant spotlight on it. Although alebrijes are in no way related to related to the holiday of the Dead of the Dead the team took some artistic license. They knew they wanted to incorporate these fantastic creatures into the story of COCO and that is how the alebrijes became spiritual guides for the dead.
Pepita’s design is reminiscent of the wooden sculptures, her body covered with unique brightly colored designs. She has a very imposing presence and fantastic effect as she flies across the Land of the Dead.
One of the animators who worked on Pepita, Alonso Martinez, had always been drawn to the alebrijs and even had a collection of them in his office. He worked closely with the animation team to incorporate the artistry of the alebrijes into Pepita’s character.
On our press visit to the Disney Pixar studios, we learned how the Pepita and the other spirit animals in COCO came to life and we had the opportunity to paint our own Pepita alebrije, taking inspiration from real alebrijes. This was so much fun and now I feel a special bond with Pepita and cannot wait to see more of her once the movie hits theaters on November 22nd.
Disney•Pixar’s COCO for the Day of the Dead Celebration
If you have not seen COCO yet be sure to check out the movie trailer below.
You can read more about Disney•Pixar’s COCO by visiting the Disney Movie website HERE.
For even more fun ways to teach kids about Día de los Muertos and its traditions, be sure to read my article about the best Day of the Dead movies for kids.
Disney COCO Movie Free Printables and Activities
After watching the movie check out these Coco-themed crafts and free printables, perfect for a fun Coco movie-inspired party or activity. It includes free coloring pages for characters like Dante, Miguel, Ernesto, and Hector, along with a printable template for creating Coco‘s guitar. Additionally, readers can find instructions for making paper marigolds and a fun maze activity. The article also suggests related activities like alebrijes paper crafts and a Coco “Remember Me” lotería game.
And for a super fun family activity you can get this alebrijes craft kit so you can make alebrijes with your kids after watching the movie!
Discover More About Disney Pixar’s COCO with These Articles
If you’re as captivated by COCO as many are, these additional articles provide a deeper look into the movie’s cultural significance, characters, and the creative work behind the scenes. From learning about the inspiration behind the film to understanding its portrayal of Mexican traditions, these articles will help you appreciate COCO even more. Whether you’re curious about the animation process or how the film shines a light on Latino culture, these articles have something for everyone and will make watching the movie so much more meaningful.
If you’re as captivated by COCO as many are, these additional articles provide a deeper look into the movie’s cultural significance, characters, and the creative work behind the scenes. From learning about the inspiration behind the film to understanding its portrayal of Mexican traditions, these articles will help you appreciate COCO even more. Whether you’re curious about the animation process or how the film shines a light on Latino culture, these articles have something for everyone and will make watching the movie so much more meaningful.
- Getting A Sneak Peek At Disney Pixar’s COCO Movie
This article gives you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how Coco was made, including details on the animation process and cultural research. - COCO Takes You On A Musical Journey Through The Sounds Of Mexico
Discover how COCO uses authentic Mexican music to enhance the story, taking viewers on a rich and vibrant musical journey.
- Bringing Skeletons To Life
Learn how Pixar animators created the lively skeleton characters in Coco and made them fun, colorful, and full of personality.
- 10 Interesting Facts About COCO’s Character Dante
Find out fun facts about Dante, the lovable dog in COCO, and how he was inspired by real-life Mexican hairless dogs called Xoloitzcuintli. This is one of my most popular COCO articles, everyone wants to know more about the funny and quirky pup Dante.
- Promoting Positive Latino Role Models
COCO highlights positive Latino role models, showcasing a strong cultural identity and the importance of family values.
- A Movie About Ancestors, Memories And Familia
This article delves into the heart of COCO, focusing on the film’s themes of family, honoring ancestors, and preserving memories. - Why This Animated Movie Means So Much To Latino Families
This article explains why COCO resonates so deeply with Latino families, celebrating the culture, traditions, and strong family bonds in the movie. Here I share how important it was for my kids to see a movie where a culture so similar to ours (we are from Guatemala) was celebrated in such a loving way. There are so many things we identified with from our love for tamales and music, to our strong family bonds and honoring and remembering loved ones that have passed away through traditional Dia de los Muertos foods.
More Day of the Dead Activities and Crafts For Kids
Here are some more fun Day of the Dead activities and crafts for kids that will help them celebrate the holiday while learning about its traditions. From creative crafts to festive treats, these ideas are perfect for getting everyone involved in the spirit of Día de los Muertos!
Make a Sugar Skull Quilling Project with Your Kids
This Easy Day of the Dead Craft teaches kids how to make a sugar skull using the art of paper quilling. By rolling and shaping strips of colorful paper, kids can create a fun and decorative sugar skull to celebrate Día de los Muertos. It’s an easy and creative project that helps kids learn about the holiday while making a unique decoration.
Paint Sugar Skull Pumpkins for Day of the Dead
In this Sugar Skull Pumpkins craft, kids can paint pumpkins with bright colors and sugar skull designs for a fun twist on Day of the Dead traditions. This project is easy and perfect for decorating your home for Día de los Muertos while involving children in the creative process. It’s a festive and unique way to celebrate the holiday with a fun craft.
Create a Sugar Skull Paper Garland with Your Kids
The Sugar Skull Paper Garland craft is a simple and colorful way for kids to help decorate for Día de los Muertos. Using colorful cardstock, children can cut out and decorate paper skulls to string together into a garland. This easy craft is perfect for teaching kids about the meaning of sugar skulls and adding festive flair to your celebration.
Bake Pan de Muerto with Fun Variations
This Easy Pan de Muerto Recipe walks you through making the traditional sweet bread used during Día de los Muertos. You can also add fun variations like making pan de muerto calaverita decorated with sugar skull designs, or filling the pan de muerto with Mexican hot chocolate ice cream or marigold cream for a special twist. These playful variations are sure to make your Day of the Dead celebration extra delicious and memorable.
Make Day of the Dead Skeleton Cookies
Day of the Dead Skeleton Cookies are an easy and fun recipe where you decorate skeleton designs on sugar cookies using icing. This simple recipe is great for kids who want to get involved in the kitchen while learning about Día de los Muertos. The cookies are perfect for a festive treat to share with family and friends.
Cook with Marigolds: Easy Recipes for Día de los Muertos
These Easy Recipes Using Marigolds (cempasúchil) are a unique and flavorful way to honor Día de los Muertos. Try delicious options like Marigold Flan, Cempasúchil Cream-Filled Pan de Muerto, or Marigold Atole, each using the bright and symbolic marigold flower. These recipes add a special touch to your holiday table and are a beautiful way to connect with tradition.
Throw a Day of the Dead Themed Party
Celebrate Día de los Muertos with a lively and colorful party featuring fun decorations like a sugar skull piñata garland and and let the kids make their own creative sugar skull masks . Keep the festivities sweet with kid-friendly treats like sugar skull fruit pizza (one of my favorite Day of the Dead desserts), these super easy to make white chocolate-covered strawberries, and if you really want to take your Dia de los Muertos party to the next level this festive Day of the Dead cake with buttercream frosting is a must! For a unique dessert, try making coconut pumpkin budin shaped into into a sugar skull to delight your guests! Get some more Day of the Dead party ideas and free printable here!
Paula studied architecture and now makes a living as a freelance writer,traveler and amateur photographer.She started her writing & publishing career as the editor of Bebé y Mamá, the first parenting magazine in Guatemala.She is the founder of www.GrowingUpBilingual.com and www.365thingsswfl.com and writes articles in Spanish and English for both magazines and the web on travel,food and bicultural and bilingual parenting .
When she is not on a plane or road trip she likes to create recipes inspired in the flavors of her native Guatemala.
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