DIY Día de los Muertos Ofrenda
Updated: 6 days ago
DIY And Day Of The Dead Difficulty: ★★★★★ Required Patience: ★★★★★
Día de los Muertos is rich in tradition and symbolism. Some people confuse Día de los Muertos with Halloween. However, the more I learn about its history and symbolism, the more I appreciate its significance.
The Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos) is regarded as a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives, friends - even pets - for a reunion that includes food, drink, and celebration. The origins of Día de los Muertos trace back about 3,000 years to the rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. I took part in my own celebration of my friends and family by making my own Día de los Muertos ofrenda, and those details are below. My hope is that this post will help demystify and elaborate on Día de los Muertos.
Below you will discover some of the traditional Día de los Muertos items and a timeline from the fine folks at Mi Legasi that I use to help guide my celebration. You can't go wrong making your own ofrenda; it's more about finding your own unique way to celebrate the lives of those important to you.
Four Essential Ofrenda Elements
Ofrendas incorporate four essential elements that represent nature and the journey of the spirits:
Earth - Represented by bread, like pan de muerto. Flowers - often represented by Marigolds - act as a vibrant guide for the returning souls. Salt is placed to purify the souls and protect them during their journey between the spirit world and world of the living.
Wind - Represented by papel picado, which can flutter and fly in the breeze. I incorporated the Monarch Butterfly into my papel picado as the butterfly is believed to guide returning souls. Here in Texas, Monarchs migrate twice a year (spring and fall), with the fall migration happening in October to early November, coinciding with Día de los Muertos.
Water - Placed in a small bowl or cup to quench the spirits' thirst after their long journey.
Fire - Represented by glowing candles to light the way home.
Time To Prepare:
Preparation time varies based on the items you decide to include. Día de los Muertos can last over the course of about 9 days, with the key dates being November 1 (All Saints' Day) and November 2 (All Souls' Day).
Ofrenda Tips:
Each year I try to add an intricate or special item to bring more authenticity and personalization to my ofrenda; this keeps the holiday meaningful and memorable for me and my family.
Calaveras (Spanish for "skulls") represent rebirth and the continuation of life. Calaveras can be sugar skulls or decorative (ceramic, wood, or papier-mâché). Ironically, sugar skulls are not meant to be eaten as candy; they are purely decorative.
I purchased my altar from Dalila at Etsy's RecuerdameOfrendas online shop. You can pick your size and color. Dalila was kind enough to make me a special-sized altar to fit my ofrenda. I added an LED underneath my altar to highlight the intricate detail of the laser-cut basswood ofrenda.
Día de los Muertos Items Can Include: Altar (Typically 3-7 Tiers)
Table Covering Photos of Your Loved Ones (Placed At The Altar's Top/Center)
Flowers (Live Marigolds Or Handmade Paper Flowers)
Papel Picado During Día de los Muertos:
Candle (Welcoming Pet Souls)
Bowl of Water
Candle (Welcoming Lost Human Souls) White Flower
Candle (Welcoming Forgotten Souls)
Glass of Water
Candle (For Lost Or Lonely Souls)
Glass of Water
Pan de Muerto
All Saints' Day Candle (For Innocent Souls)
Sweets, Candy, or Fruit
Food, Water, And Loved One's Keepsakes
Candles and Incense (For Adults)
All Souls' Day Candle
Día de los Muertos Ofrenda Timeline: October 26
The first candle is lit, and a bowl of water is placed to welcome the pet souls. It is said that these souls arrive on the 27th.
October 27
We welcome our deceased pets.
October 28
The first human candle is lit, and a white flower is placed to welcome the lost souls. People remember those who died tragically due to violence or accidents.
October 29
The next candle is lit, and a glass of water is placed for the forgotten souls, those who no longer have anyone to pray for them, or anyone who drowned.
October 30
The next candle is lit and a glass of water is placed for the lost or lonely souls and for anyone that departed without having eaten, a pan de muerto is placed.
October 31
The next candle is lit, and a glass of water is placed for the innocent souls or souls of children. Sweets, candy, or fruit along with pan de muerto is placed. All in preparation for All Saints Day.
November 1 - All Saints' Day
Souls who died as children arrive on this day. All food, water, and loved ones' keepsakes are placed on the altar. Candles and incense are lit for adults in preparation for All Souls Day and can be made at a cemetery to help souls transfer between worlds.
November 2 - All Souls' Day All faithfully departed adult souls arrive to visit, collect, and eat what their loved ones have placed. A white candle is placed to light their way back. Incense may be burned, and a path may be decorated with marigold petals to guide souls to the altar.
November 3
The altar is removed. 🕯️ 🦋 🕯️ 🦋 🕯️ 🦋 🕯️
Let's have a look at my first attempt at my ofrenda:
I'll post more information about how I made my paper flowers and the butterfly papel. If you want the details in the meantime, please contact me.
Have fun making your Día de los Muertos ofrenda and enjoy the best of the fall season!
Joe Paul Reider
Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor® Central Metro Realty
Email: HomeStyleAustin@gmail.com Mobile: 512-222-3302
Bookmark: HomeStyleAustin.com
I was asked about the lyrics to the song in the above Día de los Muertos video, so I'm adding them here in Spanish followed by English. It's a wonderful song by Kany García entitled "Confieso" (I confess)... they are especially meaningful for those who have loved... and lost...
verse
Allí miré tu foto en la nevera
I saw your photo on the fridge
De aquel viaje que hicimos en noviembre
From that trip we made in November
Sonrío al descubrir tus mil maneras
I smile while discovering your thousand ways
Para quererme
To love me
Hoy
Today
Como cada tarde
Like every afternoon
Te imaginaba
I imagined you
Confieso que me haces tanta falta
I confess that I miss you so much
Para decirme: "todo va a estar bien"
To tell me "everything is gonna be alright"
Para escucharme con una guitarra
To listen to me with a guitar
Sentado con tu taza de café
Seated with your cup of coffee
Lloré porque tu voz no está en la casa
I cried because your voice is not in the house
Reí porque me amaste con todo tu ser
I laughed because you loved me with all of your being
Es una mezcla que me agarra el alma
It's a mixture that grabs my soul
Y rompe en cada esquina de mi ser
And breaks in every corner of my being
¿Y cómo no?
And how could I not?
Si eras mi todo
If you were my everything
¿Y cómo no?
And how could I not? La Noche Buena se vuelve más fría
Christmas eve turns even colder
Y en abril se caen todas las flores
And on April all the flowers fall
Y siento que me hablas cada día
And I feel that you talk to me every day
En mil canciones
Through a thousand songs
Hoy
Today
Como cada tarde
Like every afternoon
Te imaginaba
I imagined you
Confieso que me haces tanta falta
I confess that I miss you so much
Para decirme: "todo va a estar bien"
To tell me "everything is gonna be alright"
Para escucharme con una guitarra
To listen to me with a guitar
Sentado con tu taza de café
Seated with your cup of coffee
Lloré porque tu voz no está en la casa
I cried because your voice is not in the house
Reí porque me amaste con todo tu ser
I laughed because you loved me with all of your being
Eres una mezcla que me agarra el alma
It's a mixture that grabs my soul
Y rompe en cada esquina de mi ser
And breaks in every corner of my being
¿Y cómo no?
And how could I not?
Si eras mi todo
If you were my everything
¿Y cómo no?
And how could I not?
Miro al cielo y no me basta
I look at the sky and it's not enough
Y tus fotos que me engañan
And your photos that lie to me
Y me hacen creer que hoy llamas en la tarde
And they make me believe that today you'll call in the afternoon
Para saludarme
To greet me
Confieso que me haces tanta falta
I confess that I miss you so much
Para decirme: "todo va a estar bien"
To tell me "everything is gonna be alright"
Para escucharme con una guitarra
To listen to me with a guitar
Sentado con tu taza de café
Seated with your cup of coffee
Lloré porque tu voz no está en la casa
I cried because your voice is not in the house
Reí porque me amaste con todo tu ser
I laughed because you loved me with all of your being
Eres una mezcla que me agarra el alma
It's a mixture that grabs my soul
Y rompe en cada esquina de mi ser
And breaks in every corner of my being
¿Y cómo no?
And how could I not?
Si eras mi todo
If you were my everything
¿Y cómo no?
And how could I not?
The entire song...
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