Whether building a Day of the Dead altar is a new concept to you or an old tradition, celebrating this holiday is a meaningful way to pay respect to your dearly departed loved ones.
The sacred holiday, known in Spanish as Día de los Muertos, is rooted in pre-Hispanic Aztec rituals tied to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead, who allowed souls to travel back to earth for a short period once a year to commune with their family members. Eventually, this tradition was merged with the Roman Catholic observance of All Saints Day and All Souls Day when the Spaniards conquered Mexico.
The hallmark of the celebration involves creating an altar, also called an ofrenda—an offering to the dearly departed souls with scents, colors, and candlelight to attract them earth-side, as well as photos to honor them, their personal belongings to bring them comfort, and food and beverages to feed the souls after their long journey and to prepare them for their return.
Day of the Dead altar decorations
In order to construct your altar, you may want to purchase some decorations. I recommend Mexico In My Pocket, a small shop in Brooklyn, NY with an online store, as a great source for authentic items such as candles and clay holders, paper flowers, punched tin photo frames, silver milagros, paper maché skeletons and Catrinas, papel picado and other artisan items made in Mexico.
I've also curated a list of Day of the Dead altar decorations and other items to help you learn about the holiday on my Amazon storefront.
Key elements you'll find on a Day of the Dead altar
A place to rest
A mat or rug is often placed at the base of the altar for the soul to rest after their long journey home.
Pan de muerto
Pan de muerto is a type of pan dulce that represents an earthly gift and the generosity of the host. The bread dough contains orange blossom water and is often topped with sugar, sometimes pink as a reminder of the ceremonial use of bread, or sesame seeds. The dough decorating the top represents bones.
Food to feed the departed souls
Food is placed on the altar to feed the souls of the departed and nourish them after their long journey. Often, you'll find the departed's favorite foods and seasonal fruit such as oranges, pomegranates, mandarins, and typical dishes such as rice, mole, and calabaza en tacha, a stewed pumpkin dessert in a spiced piloncillo syrup. Drinks such as atoles or chocolate caliente are often served or placed on the altar as well.
Day of the Dead Recipes that can be used as part of the ofrenda, served to the living while building the altar or observing the altar on the holiday:
Flowers
Marigolds, called "cempazúchitl" (also spelled cempasúchitl or cempasúchil, and pronounced "semp-ahh-SOO-chee-tul"), are the most common flower used on altars. The word "cempazúchitl" comes from the Nahuatl term for the flower, "cempohualxóchitl," which translates to "twenty flower."
The yellow or orange marigold symbolizes death and the petals are used to lead a path for the spirits, as well as a pungent scent that emanates from both the flower and the stem, which is said to guide the spirits to the altar. A typical altar will also often have white, yellow, and purple flowers. White symbolizes heaven, yellow stands for earth, and purple represents mourning and grief.
If you can't find marigolds, don't like the smell, or would like to dress your altar with reusable decorations, you can buy
Salt
Salt serves as a symbol of purification to preserve the soul and prevent its corruption. It's usually placed on the altar in a dish or a small plate as part of the offering to the spirits.
Sugar skulls
Sugar skulls, and sometimes chocolate skulls, are placed on the altar to represent the departed souls. Sometimes the name of the loved one is written on the skull's forehead with icing. Sugar skulls can be placed on the altar at home as part of the ofrenda, or on the gravestone to honor the return of the spirit. Smaller sugar skulls are meant to represent departed children, and larger ones are used to represent departed adults.
Incense or copal
Incense or copal is burned to guide the souls to the altar through its aroma. Copal is often burned graveside to create a sacred and liminal space for the soul to transition from the physical plane to the spiritual one.
Banquete and water
"Banquete" literally means "banquet" or "feast," and often consists of the dearly departed's favorite alcohol, cigarettes, candies, or other favorite vices, among other things. The alcoholic beverage or spirits are used to celebrate the return and enliven the souls.
Water is included on the altar to quench the souls' thirst and strengthen them for their return.
When my husband's abuelita died, we found a handful of mazapanes in her bedside table drawer, so I always like to include them on my altar as an offering for her.
Papel picado
Papel picado represents the union between life and death, and symbolizes the wind and the fragility of life. Designs are a form of folk art that are chiseled with skill into the tissue paper.
Photos and personal items
The altar should include photos of the departed and some of their personal items to comfort their souls upon their return to the earthly realm.
Candles
Candles represent fire and the ascension of the spirit. They are a light guiding the departed back to visit the land of the living.
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