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    Ofrenda

    Uploaded by

    Tony Helms
    This is a project on creating an ofrenda.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Ofrenda

    Uploaded by

    Tony Helms
    7 views2 pages
    This is a project on creating an ofrenda.

    Original Title

    ofrenda

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

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    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

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    This is a project on creating an ofrenda.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    7 views2 pages

    Ofrenda

    Uploaded by

    Tony Helms
    This is a project on creating an ofrenda.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Preparing an Ofrenda for Day of the Dead

    Day of the Dead is a family-oriented event celebrated in many Latin American


    countries, particularly in Mexico. Day of the Dead is a time to remember and
    honor the deceased and is usually characterized by ofrendas, which are shrines
    or altars constructed to present offerings to the spirits.

    Things you may need:

    * Treats (such as candied sugar skulls)


    * Incense
    * Three boxes
    * Personal items of the deceased (such as jewelry)
    * Salt
    * Candles
    * Calaveras
    * Water
    * Favorite beverage of the deceased
    * Papel picado

    1. Prepare the ofrendas to honor your deceased loved ones and ancestors
    by first making an altar for the home. The altar typically consists of three
    boxes stacked one on top of the other (often pyramid style) to represent
    the three levels of death that a soul must travel. The first level is the death
    of the body, the second when the body is interred to the ground and the
    third is the final death, when there are no longer any living members of the
    family to remember the deceased.

    2. Make calaveras, or skeleton figures, to symbolize the deceased, as they


    were when they were alive. These figures often depict the special interests
    of the departed (such as playing the guitar or dancing) and how they
    physically looked. The calaveras are placed on the second level of the
    ofrendas.

    3. Add mementos to the ofrendas to assist spirits in finding the correct house
    and family to visit during Day of the Dead. These items might consist of
    personal items familiar to the deceased, such as jewelry, instruments or
    cigars.

    4. Add favorite Day of the Dead foods to the ofrendas, such as candied
    sugar skulls and sweet breads (known as pan de muertos) or hojaldra.
    Favorite beverages of the deceased, such as fruit juice, may also be
    placed on the altar or shrine. However, it is also customary to provide
    water and salt for purification of the ofrendas and visiting souls.
    5. Surround the ofrendas with plenty of candles (taking proper safety
    precautions, of course). Also, it is traditional to place four candles on the
    top level of the ofrendas altar to represent the four directions: North, East,
    South and West.

    6. Burn incense on the ofrendas for purification and to guide the spirits to
    your home for Day of the Dead. Copal, a resin derived from a tree native
    to Mexico, is the traditional incense used.

    7. Put the finishing touch on the ofrendas for Day of the Dead with papel
    picado, an art form in which colorful tissue paper is folded and cut into
    patterns. You may attach these decorations to the bottom of the altar
    boxes.

    8. A towel, soap and small bowl are put on the altar so that the returning
    ghost can wash his/her hands after the long trip. There is a pitcher of fresh
    water to quench his/her thirst.

    Traditionally, the altar includes four main elements of nature - earth, wind, water,
    and fire.

    • Crops represent Earth. The Mexicans believe the aroma of food feeds the
    souls.

    • A moving object represents wind. Tissue paper is commonly used to


    represent wind.

    • Water is placed in a container for the soul to quench its thirst after the long
    journey to the altar.

    • A wax candle represents fire. Each candle represents a soul, and an extra
    one is placed for the forgotten soul.
    .
    Be as creative and elaborate as you want. Remember that the people in the spirit
    world connect through the senses of sight, smell, and sound.

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