Just like there’s no one way to be Latina, there’s no one way to create an ofrenda. However, guidelines and some history do help when creating your first ofrenda. And, there are some essentials needed. I’m listing my 8 essential elements to build a Dia de Muertos ofrenda.
My family and I have created some form of a Dia de Muertos ofrenda each year for the last 10 – 11 years. We had no idea what we were doing when we first started since it was the first time for all of us. Neither my husband nor I grew up celebrating this Mexican holiday. I was determined to make it a tradition for my boys and us to do in an effort to connect with our Mexican culture and heritage.
WHAT IS DIA DE MUERTOS?
Dia de Muertos is a tradition that began in Mexico even before the Spaniards arrived. In short, it’s a time to honor the dead. More intimately, it’s a time for people to honor and celebrate their loved ones who have passed. And for those who believe, it’s a special time for loved one’s spirits to come back and visit. For my family, it’s a time to remember all in our family who have gone before us by building an ofrenda, share stories about them, and hope they know they are welcomed in our home.
STARTING TO BUILD OUR OFRENDA
Before any ofrenda ever went up in our home, we had taken the boys to a few local Dia de Muertos community events to help them (and me) to understand this holiday. My oldest son took to the tradition very easily and pretty seriously. I recommend taking time as a family to attend community events dedicated to celebrating Day of the Dead.
Our first ofrenda only honored my paternal grandma and my maternal grandpa. Later I’d add my uncle who I was able to find a photo of. And, unfortunately, our ofrenda grew in size because we began to lose family members throughout the years. As the size of the physical ofrenda grew, so did our knowledge and understanding of Dia de Muertos (as it’s referred to in Mexico) or Dia de Los Muertos (as it’s referred to in the U.S.). We almost never call it Day of the Dead despite speaking predominantly English at home.
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned and some I’ve incorporated into making an ofrenda or altar.
NOTE: I usually call it an ofrenda. Offering. Sometimes I refer to it as an altar. But it’s the same thing to me. It’s what we build in our home to welcome our loved ones spirits for Dia de Muertos.
My 8 Essential Elements to my Dia de Muertos Ofrenda
- Photos of our loved ones
- Photos are reminders of who we are inviting to be celebrated. I usually pull the photos of my family members from the shelves in my home and place them on the ofrenda.
- If you don’t have photos, you can add something that reminds you of them like a cap or shirt. My dearest neighbor, Lucy, passed and I realized I never got a photo of her but I use the prayer card from her funeral to remember her.
- Candles
- Candles light the way for the spirits to come to visit. We want to make sure they know that we are home to welcome them. It’s our way to ‘leave the light on’ for them.
- Flowers
- Today, I specifically include cempasúchiles (marigolds). These are the traditional flowers of Dia de Muertos. These bright gold and orange flowers have a distinct aroma that attract the spirits to your home. I love this scent. It reminds me of playing outside when I was young right after or right before it rained. It smells like la tierra to me.
- Food or treats for our loved ones to enjoy
- Because Dia de Muertos is a celebration, we have to have food. And because our guests of honor have traveled so far to join us, we want to make sure they enjoy the food.
- Salt
- Placing a small dish of salt on the ofrenda cleanses the spirits as they travel back and forth. Salt is believed to get rid of negative energy. Use salt to keep our loved ones’ travels safe.
- Water for the spirits to drink
- Water is available for the spirits to drink after their long journey. Place a glass of water on the ofrenda to give your loved ones comfort. NOTE: Today I learned that it’s placed in a clear glass so that you can see any bubbles that arise in the water because the bubbles mean that the spirits are visiting.
- Papel picado
- Papel picado is to dress up your ofrenda to make it a party! Remember this is a celebration. It’s also hung so that you may see the wind moving through representing the spirits dancing around.
- Lots of color
- Color was never an essential that I learned about anywhere. Color is my own essential. Someone asked me why I place items in any certain place and I told them that I don’t have a rhyme or reason. I just want it to look pretty. I want my loved ones to see it and know that I am happy they came to visit. And lots of color makes me happy.
When we started without much education on what to include, we didn’t even put out our loved ones’ favorite foods or treats. We only made small boxes decorated with things that reminded us of them. I would use this time to tell my kids about how my Papo Joe loved to play golf and how my Grandma always had beautiful pink roses in her garden. Later when we lost my paternal grandpa, we made a box covered in plaid designs to represent all the plaid button up shirts he wore.
Today, after asking my family members for memories of our departed family members, I have a better idea of the foods and treats they liked. I can add fresh oranges that my grandma liked, pecans that my grandpa liked and cafecito for everyone. I hope to continue to learn about my family and our past loved ones. And, as I do learn more, I will adjust the comida and dulces that I put out on the ofrenda.
OTHER ELEMENTS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR OFRENDA FOR DIA DE MUERTOS
Finally, there are three other elements that I’ve learned about and I incorporate. The ofrenda should be at least three levels. Three levels often represent underground, the earth and the skies. I use three levels now but not necessarily for those reasons. I just think it looks prettier.
The ofrenda should have incense burning. Incense is used similarly to why the salt is used. To cleanse the spirits and keep negative energy away.
The ofrenda should have sugar skulls for each loved one you are inviting. The skulls are an offering to the gods to let the spirits pass. Again, I often use these on my ofrenda but they are not the traditional sugar skulls. They are made of porcelain or beads. I moved away from sugar skulls simply because I found them to be very messy.
If you are being called to celebrate Dia de Muertos, I encourage you to create your own ofrenda – in your own way. The most important element to all of this is love. The love you have for the ones passed is what will lead and guide you to creating something beautiful to honor them.
