HOW TO BUILD AN “OFRENDA DE DÍA DE MUERTOS”
It’s autumn, my favorite time of the year because in it is my favorite holiday of ALL: Día de Muertos! The Day of the Dead. I don’t know what I love most about this holiday, the colors, the deep meaning, the spiritual feeling, the fact that the temperature starts decreasing to something tolerable, or the beautiful ofrendas. This festivity has been gaining a lot of popularity, especially since Hollywood has made a couple of features of it in a couple of big movies in 2015 and 2017. Fun fact #1: The director Sam Mendes included a Día de Muertos parade in Mexico City’s downtown in his 007 film Spectre in 2015, which inspired a new tradition of actually doing this parade which started in 2016 inspired by the film, and not the other way around as many people around the world believe. Fun fact #2: In 2017 Disney tried to Copyright “The day of the dead” but fortunately they couldn’t and because of the bad rep they got from this failed attempt they changed the title of the film to “Coco”.
source: topadventure.com
A MEXICAN TRADITION FROM ANCIENT TIME
In Aztec times, cult to death was a basic element of the people’s culture, when someone died they would wrap the body in a petate for the burial, and throw a party with the goal of guiding the spirit to the Mictlán, the world of the Dead
On the Day of the Dead, the Spirit of the dead ones would visit the offerings of their loved ones, like food and flowers. This celebration took place during the ninth month of the Mexica Calendar.
When the Catholic Conquistadores imposed their religion upon the conquered, the celebration fused with “All Hollows Day” on November 1st, and the day of the “Day of the Faithful Departed” the next day. This mix of traditions is one of the reasons UNESCO name Día de Muertos an immaterial heritage of Mankind in 2008.
On present days we celebrate this holiday from October 27th to November 2nd, so it’s not really A DAY of the Dead, I know, it should be called The Season of the Dead, but, hey, I didn’t name it, however, what I can do for you today is give you the ten basic elements every Ofrenda for Día de Muertos MUST have:
1. PICTURES OF YOUR BELOVED DEPARTED
This is very important, it creates a visual anchorage that will attract their spirit to the offering, and will also prevent other spirits from pillaging what doesn’t belong to them, it’s kind of like a “Reserved” sign.
source: instagram.com/1.calavera
2. CANDLES
To light the way of their spirit you must put one candle per loved one, this light will be a beacon to guide them to the altar you’ve set for them.
source: asisucede.com.mx
3. PAN DE MUERTO
A tradition from prehispanic times, an offering of kinship, welcoming your beloved departed into your ofrenda. The prehispanic predecessor of this wonderful seasonal delight was called Papalotlaxcalli, or butterfly bread because it would have the shape of a butterfly, the symbol of transformation(death), on top of it. One of the most delicious things of this season for sure.
source: cdn.foodandwineespanol.com
4. FLOR DE CEMPASÚCHIL
The seasonal flower of the dead. Tagetes erecta. From the náhuatl cempôhualxôchitl, which means “twenty flowers”. Known to the Mayan peoples of the Yucatán Peninsula as x’pujuk, it’s a breathtaking orange/yellow flower native to Mexico and Mesoamerica. In Cuba, they call it “Deadman’s Carnation”, a name I totally dig, and regardless of its Mexican Origin, in English, it’s commonly known as African marigold or French marigold… This really makes no sense because the countries that produce more Tagetes erecta are China, India, and Perú…
It’s said that its scent and color resemble sunlight and attract the souls to the ofrenda, you can use them to create a pathway from the entrance of the house all the way to the altar so they know the way in (and out)
source: eleconomista.com.mx
5. SALT
White, the color of purity, salt is widely known for its cleansing powers. It was also used in ancient times to preserve the body and prevent decay so the soul could transit from the land of the living to the Mictlán.
source: elsemanario.com
6. WATER
Another purifying element, also meant to quench the thirst of the weary traveling souls after the long way from the land of the dead.
source: foodandtravel.mx
7. COPAL
This incense is made from the resin of certain trees of the same name when it’s in an intermediate state of polymerization between resin and amber.
source: salud180.com
Its smoke scares the bad spirits away to keep you and your dear departed safely during this holiday when the barrier between our world and theirs is thinner than paper, and speaking of paper…
8. PAPEL PICADO
Tissue paper with cut-out shapes, like catrinas, Calaveras, and such, of many, many colors. It’s definitely an ICONIC Día de Muertos decoration, but that’s not its only purpose, it also represents the wind element, which is the medium through which the souls travel.
source: unionpuebla.mx
9. CALAVERITAS
The symbol of Death, inevitable. She’s the main reason for this party and we honor her since prehispanic times, by celebrating it with lively colors and vivid music we learn to see it as the natural counterpart of life, always present.
source: eluniversal.com.mx
10. FOOD
I don’t know how they do it in your country but in México, whenever we have guests, we greet them with LOTS O’ FOOD! And if the guests are loved ones long gone, we wanna pamper them with their favorite dishes, maybe it’s an amazing plate of mole, or some tacos al pastor, tamales, or perhaps some candy or chocolate. They are your honored guests and you have to make them feel special, it’s all about them. I always put a shot of Tequila for my Abuela Helena, tobacco for my Godmother Rosa, and cantaloupe for Padme, my cat (yes, she would get crazy with this fruit).
source: raicesalaire.com
It’s ideal to put all of these elements on your ofrenda but if you don’t have time, space or budget, just remember your loved ones that have transcended from this material plane to the Mictlán and welcome them now more than ever into your hearts, because it’s because of them that we are what we are, and they will always be a part of us.
Happy Season of the Death my dear foodies!
-Juan Calavera
