What is on a Dia de los Muertos altar?
They are adorned with photographs, personal belongings, candles, sugar skulls, pan de muerto, flowers (typically marigold flowers), incense and more. Making an altar for the dead is not a difficult task.
What do you need for an ofrenda?
How To Make an Ofrenda Magical
- YOUR MAGIC. It will be magical, because you are magic itself in wanting to create a space that feels like home for your ancestors whom have passed.
- LEVELS.
- CEMPASÚCHIL.
- CANDLES.
- BANQUET OF FOOD.
- PAPEL PICADO.
- SUGAR SKULLS.
- COPAL.
When should you take down your ofrenda?
The ofrendas speak of affection toward the deceased and are an expression of love towards life. Altars are traditionally built on October 30th and 31st and are taken down November 2nd.
Can you eat food from ofrenda?
Food is, as with any celebration, an integral part of the Día de los Muertos celebration. But food as an ofrenda is offered for the aroma, it is not believed that the foods are used or consumed by the spirits. The foods are eaten or given away by the living later, after their essence has been consumed.
What are the seven different aspects that make up the altar?
Typically, a seven-step altar includes the following levels, from top to bottom:
- Picture of a virgin or saint.
- Candles and lights, which represent guides to help souls escape from purgatory.
- Toys and salt figurines, particularly for the children.
- Pan de Muerto (the bread of the dead) and sugar skulls.
What does each level of an altar represent?
Different Levels In some areas altars are made with two levels that symbolize heaven and earth; in others they are made with three levels for heaven, purgatory and earth; and there are places where altars with seven levels are placed, each of these levels represents the steps a soul has to make to get to heaven.