Now I'm probably not getting this all correct, so help me where necessary, but this is how my family has been celebrating Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead to the best of our understanding the past three years.
Our first real introduction to this traditionally Mexican holiday was when my oldest son celebrated Dia de Los Muertos at school during sixth grade. It is portrayed as a joyful celebration November 1st and 2nd for those who have passed, rather than a mourning. He chose his great grandfather, Clyde, to honor. It was so wonderful talking to him about this man who was so special and influential in my life, but whom he never got a chance to meet. We told stories, talked about all of his favorite things so we could include them in his alter/shoebox, and with the help of my mom who was visiting at the time, decided we wanted to continue that celebration and discussion about my grandpa, and others who had passed away that we love and miss, and decided to do a dinner to do just that.
The Dia de los Muertos alter was easy to setup and easy to store which makes it accessible and simple to recreate year after year. It also gives me so much joy to reminisce and remember those who have been so special in our lives, and peace of mind when someone special to us now passes away, that we know there is at least one dedicated time each year, that we will all be gathered around the table collectively celebrating their life and what they have meant to each of us.
To create our home alter, ofrenda, we made a short list of those that we wanted to honor and printed out a favorite picture of them and placed them in frames purchased from Hobby Lobby. Hobby Lobby was actually a great place to go for this project because they have a lot of little trinkety things so when talked about things that reminded us of our family members who had passed- my grandmother who loved butterflies, my grandfather that was a farmer, etc. we were able to find small mementos at Hobby Lobby that we could easily place next to their photo. Of course there were other items included that we did not get at Hobby Lobby like a bottle of whiskey, cigars, and a roll of quarters to represent his love of gambling!
We also made a list of the foods that reminded us the most of each of those people and created the wackiest dinner of those items. It was fun, it was weird, and it was out of the ordinary which made it even more special. My grandpa Clyde had discovered both tacos and pizza later in his life and loved them. His mind was blown when we told him they make a taco pizza! That is what we will be having this year during our Day of the Dead dinner celebration.
Our most recent addition was of our beloved dog Bubba. We love sitting and looking at that face and talking about how stinky he was and how much he hated the cold. Day of the Dead can sound so morbid or dark, but this tradition has become a bright light in our year and in the way we honor, represent, and celebrate those that we love. It is so important throughout the long cycle of grief to continue to say their name and let their story be a part of ours as well.
This was an incredible display in our neighborhood for Dia de Los Muertos. It's wonderful!
Here are some traditional items to include in your own ofrenda/alter if you want to adopt this holiday tradition in your own home.
Photos of your family and friends who have passed
Calaveras- sugar skulls or other skeleton decoration
Water
Marigold flowers
Candles and incense
Favorite foods of your loved one
Sweets
Cross or bible if that fits your beliefs
Pan de muerto- a traditional dish dish to share with family and friends
It is suggested that you drape a decorative tablecloth over your table. You can stack boxes underneath it to create several layers. Add your paper decorations, marigolds (the strong scent and color are believed to make it easier for the deceased loved ones to find their way back to you), candles, photos, favorite foods, water, etc.
Here is the latest from my youngest who is now completing his 6th grade Dia de los Muertos project this year on his Great Grandpa Delbert, which gives us even more fun to add to our ofrenda this year. Celebrating a great man and a life well lived.
I'd love to learn more about, and share photos of, the ways that you are celebrating Dia de los Muertos. Send them to brooke@babblingbrooke.com if you are comfortable.
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