I know that when my loved ones make an "altar" for me, it will be one full of flowers, my favorite ones, the Sunflower, but also the traditional ones, the Cempazuchitl Flower. On the "Dia de Los Muertos" they will make an Altar with my picture, my favorite things, they sure will bring cats, in any form or representation, there will be chocolate, pinole, atole de grano and strawberry with cream. Maybe some fruit like guanavanas, juaquiniquiles, changungas and and of course my favorite drink, Mezcal. They will also play music!! Luis Miguel, some Bosanova, Jenni and the Mexicats and Vanessa Paradis. Hope I have opportunity to be a writer, so in the altar there will be one of my books and maybe a little treasure that belonged to me.
That is what we do in "Dia de Muertos" we remember and honor the dead ones, the ones we admired, we loved and have passed away. It takes place on November the first and the second. Families all over Mexico make an Altar at their homes, their offices, even in public spaces... and it is a tradition to do all together, family and friends reunited, sometimes with humor and always with joy. Also they bring flowers and "Ofrendas" to the cementery, a place that during this night, instead of being a dark and lonely place, turns into a sanctuary full of candles, people and magic.
The best and richest representation of this tradition takes place in the state of Michoacán. All over the state you will see all the altars, all the colors and smells. One of the main cities of Michoacán is Patzcuaro. And in Patzcuaro there is the famous lake called "Lago de Pátzcuaro" that has an island called Janitzio. People get together all around the lake, the island and the town and all night you will be surrounded by the lights of the candles, by the energy and feeling of the people, the living and not living ones, you are in that place and moment that the spirits are called and invited to visit their last home. Is in my personal experience one of the most fantastic moments of my life.
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| Dia de Muertos at Patzcuaro |
Go ahead and make an Altar if you wish to honor and remember someone cherished in this day, these are the ten elements you need to have a good altar or ofrenda:
1. Candles - Represent religion
2. Picture of the person - So everyone knows who is the altar for.
3. Flowers, use Cempazuchitl, and if you do not find it at your home, just any yellow, orange flower will do.
4. Salt - Symbol of purification.
5. Incience - Symbol of purification and a way to attract the spirits.
6. Paper (Papel de China) - Thin paper colorful and decorated.
7. Sugar or Chocolate Sculls (Calaveras) - Like a joke to the death.
8. Sweet Bread (Pan de Muerto) - Traditional delicious bread made with flour, eggs, sugar, butter, orange peels anise and yeast.
9. Food and Drinks - The ones your honored person used to like or love.
10. Other - Any object that will evoke the likes, the life and the essence of the honored one.
There has been always a wonder, a mystery about the after-life. No matter which side of the world, or religion we have. The Egyptians made massive tombs to their kings, made boats to help the deceased ones passed to the other life, there is one thing that is sure, after 5000 thousand years we are still talking about Egypt about Tutankhamen and all of their gods.
At the end of our lives, we may or may not have a future life, a continuation of our souls... some say we end right there, some others believe in reincarnation, maybe we will live in our happy place forever!! But all that is just nothing to be sure of, meanwhile let's live our only reality.
At the end of our lives, we may or may not have a future life, a continuation of our souls... some say we end right there, some others believe in reincarnation, maybe we will live in our happy place forever!! But all that is just nothing to be sure of, meanwhile let's live our only reality.
It is in our closed ones that we continue to live, in their hearts and memories, it is how we make people around us feel that survives. It is the good we did to this world that will make us immortals.
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| Cempazuchitl flower |
Be, live, love. #CaboforLife
