Īn ofrenda forms a central plot theme in the 2017 animated film Coco. The twins help the family create an ofrenda for their loved ones, as well as a larger ofrenda for their community. The book is about a Mexican-American family celebrating the Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) in California and is focused on two young twins in the family. In culture Ī non-fiction children's book called Day of the Dead: A Mexican-American Celebration was written by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith. Incense from the resin of copal trees are also used in the offering in order to produce smells that will scare away evil spirits. It is thought that because the journey to the land of the living is a long one, water is left out to satisfy the thirst of those who made the journey. The element of water is represented by the glasses of water. Since food is solid and is grown in the ground, it represents the element earth. Papel picado represents the element air because it is so light weight, you can see how the wind moves it. For example, candles are lit on the table to symbolize the element of fire. The ofrenda typically features types of decorations that are representative of the four elements.

Ofrendas are constructed in the home as well as in village cemeteries and churches. According to cultural descriptions of the celebration, the smell from the Marigolds helps guide the dead to the ofrenda, and the petals are often picked and spread in a pathway to lead the way. Throughout the altar are placed calaveras (decorated candied skulls made from compressed sugar) and bright orange and yellow marigolds ( cempazuchitl), an Aztec flower of the dead. The bottom-most tier almost always contains lit candles, and might also have a washbasin, mirror, soap, and a towel so that the spirit of the deceased can see and refresh themselves upon arrival at the altar. For deceased adults, the ofrenda might include a bottle or poured shot glasses of tequila or mezcal, while if the deceased is a child a favorite toy might be placed here. which are positioned in a retablo which forms the back of the altar on the second tier are things placed to encourage the dead to feel at home and welcome: the deceased person's favorite food items might go here, including such things as mole, candy, pan dulce, and especially a sweet bread called pan de muerto. The topmost tier identifies the dead person who is being invited to the altar, frequently with photos of the deceased, along with images of various saints, statuettes of the Virgin Mary, crucifixes, etc. The ofrenda is presented in one's home in order to commemorate the souls of loved ones in the family.Ī common format for an ofrenda contains three levels or tiers. This view the Aztecs held was commingled with the Christian beliefs that the soul is eternal (whether it be in heaven, purgatory, or hell) during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire when the two cultures were merged. The Aztec culture considered souls to continuously live and enter different realms when a body would die. This display coincides with the Día de Muertos, which is a tradition some believe originated with the Aztecs, though others dispute this. An ofrenda, which may be quite large and elaborate, is usually created by the family members of a person who has died and is intended to welcome the deceased to the altar setting. Pan de muerto altar commemorating a deceased man in Milpa Alta, México DFĪn ofrenda (Spanish: ' offering') is the offering placed in a home altar during the annual and traditionally Mexican Día de los Muertos celebration.

Dia de los muertos altar at home