After all, Day of the Dead celebrations can be customized to what resonates with you. In her city of Oaxaca, Seker says, residents pour mezcal in ofrendas, but she's going to raise a glass of bourbon for her ancestors. Raise a glass to those who came before you.Ĭonnect with the spirits by having a few.spirits. "The warmth of the cacao is symbolic of us opening hearts as we connect with the earth and all those who were before us," Luciano says, adding that the drink honors her family's Mayan ancestors, too. She and her daughters will add cinnamon to the traditional Mayan beverage to symbolize love and abundance, and vanilla for sweetness. Luciano adds sweetness to the holiday by making cacao, a hot, chocolatey drink made with cacao paste (though she says a steaming cup of hot chocolate works, too). Drink cacao, or hot chocolate.įor all its joyous celebrations, Dia de Los Muertos can be a bittersweet occasion. “We will make this as a family as we listen to Vicente Fernandez and other classics,” she says. This year, she will pay tribute to her family by cooking up some capirotada, a kind of Mexican bread pudding that's one of her mom’s and grandma’s favorite desserts. I also invite them to share stories about my mom,” Luciano says. “I use this time to share stories with my daughters about what it was like growing up with their great-grandparents. Life coach Arhinna Luciano passes down tales of family members to her children to keep their memory alive. Carolin Voelker // Getty Images Pass down family stories. Calaveras are placed on ofrendas and are eaten as a holiday treat.Īdorned graves on the Day of the Dead in Mexico. "Since they are part of your lineage, it’s safe to say that they will enjoy the same foods as you."įor dessert, set out some calaveras, which are skulls made out of sugar. “If you are unsure about what your ancestors like to eat, you can prepare what you like,” Cardenas says. What better way to feel connected than through a special meal, which also features some of the holiday's quintessential foods?ĭuring their Dia de Los Muertos dinners, most families leave an empty place setting for the departed and cook their favorite foods. Remember, Dia de los Muertos is a celebration of life and the connections that bind us. Luna recommends opening up windows and burning copal resin, said to guide the spirits home to their families. One way to invite your spirits in? Cleanse and prepare your home for their visits. Cleanse the energy of your home.ĭuring Day of the Dead, the border that separates the land of the living and the land of the dead is believed to be thinner than usual. He plans to set out tequila and cigarettes, two of her favorite things, on his altar in her honor. Mama Lola, Cardenas’s grandmother, taught him how to read tarot cards and supported him in his journey into becoming a magical practitioner. Michael Cardenas, a professional witch and owner of Olde Ways, will be honoring his grandmother this holiday. Then, I place marigold flowers, sweets like pan dulce, skeleton figures, and water to honor the people in my life who are no longer living," Luna says. “I set up a large altar with my grandmother’s picture, as well as my grandfather’s, stepdad’s, and people who’ve passed away. Luna has enacted the same Day of the Dead ritual since childhood. Nicknamed "flowers of the dead" for its prominent place in the holiday celebration, the cempasuchil flower (or Mexican marigold) is said to attract spirits with its sweet scent and bright hue. Typically, ofrendas are decorated with photos, chalices, colorful paper cutouts ( papel picado), bottles of liquor, candles, water, the deceased’s favorite food, and-most recognizably-marigold flowers. Some altars have books, jewelry, music and clothes on display.A Day of the Dead altar in Mexico. They can be personalized with the dead person’s favorite food, mementos from their lives and their favorite items. The ofrendas (offerings), as the altars are called, are carefully assembled using many traditional elements, but each of them is unique on its own. The pungent scent and bright color of fresh marigold petals are meant to guide the spirits to their altars, and glasses of water are handy to quench the thirst of the dead after their long journey. Sugar skulls, candles, pan de muerto (dead man’s bread) and Mexican marigolds are featured throughout the altar. The different levels represent the underworld, Earth and heaven.Ī large photo of the deceased is usually placed at the very top of the altar with papel picado. The colorful multi-level memorials are built in homes, schools and public places as a tribute to deceased loved ones. This altar pays tribute to Mexican singer Juan Gabriel who died in 2016. ![]() The holiday is a time to celebrate the lives of friends, family members and even celebrities who have died.
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