#MAKE A DIA DE LOS MUERTOS ALTAR HOW TO#

“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.

#MAKE A DIA DE LOS MUERTOS ALTAR HOW TO#

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.

Make a dia de los muertos altar