![]() ![]() It’s an offering to our loved ones, our ancestors. Ofrenda means offering and sometimes I use the words altar and ofrenda interchangeably. Something handmade for the ofrenda is your offering. Also, in ancient times it represented the sun, which was the major element of the deities. The marigold has a strong aroma, which beckons the soul,, ‘Here is your altar.’ The scent draws them to the altar. ![]() They create the ambiance for the soul to come and partake of the altar that we have prepared for them.Īlso, candles are part of the wind element. In Mexico, and today here in the U.S., people are using papel picado. The papel picado are the cut paper banners that are made out of tissue paper that represent wind. Kolhatkar: Besides photographs of ancestors, are there any other elements to an altar that you feel are essential?Įsparza: I have to represent the four natural elements-that goes back to Indigenous culture-and that’s wind, earth, fire, and water. Read about how Chicano artists like Esparza helped promote the modern-day version of Día de los Muertos and how they are fighting against hyper-commercialization of the tradition.Īt the community altar, Ofelia Esparza (foreground) is burning copal, which is incense used for special ceremonies. To me those are the main pieces because the photographs are what generate the stories, and then the actual images of ancestors that you might not have known in person but that you know were part of your background. My mother always had an altar with photographs. There are so many ways of celebrating Día de los Muertos in Mexico, which of course has come over with the immigration of people into the United States, that I don’t say, ‘This is the way it has to be.’ The way that I do it is based on my mother’s tradition. It’s become such an art form that many artists do representations of these elements, not necessarily the items themselves. Over the years I’ve learned of different traditions, so I can’t really say what is the prototype for an altar, but the elements that I feel are important are the photographs, the candles, the flowers, of course, the food, incense, and papel picado. When we create an altar, we’re creating sacred space. Ofelia Esparza: Altares or ofrendas are a bridge between life and death, between the living and the dead. Sonali Kolhatkar: Is there a standard method of altar-making among Mexican Americans or is it an evolving art? It contains the basics elements of a Día altar: marigolds, tissue flowers (to represent marigolds), candles, and photos of passed loved ones. This is the large community altar that Ofelia created for Grand Park. ![]()
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