The Day of the Dead is just a few weeks away, and as we told you before in “Day of the Dead in Jalisco” you can also be a part of this holiday. The best way to do so is by making your own altar. If you don’t know how, here’s a useful guide with tips to build your altar with things you can find at home.
How to make a home-made Day of the Dead altar?
Firstly, we want to make clear that this guide is for an easy altar with simple items. A traditional altar may vary.
Step 1. The perfect spot
The first thing to do is find where you’ll set it up. The ideal place is near the main entrance of your home, with enough light. It is said that when souls arrive they’ll look for the candle’s light to reach the altar. So, the closest it is from the main entrance, the easier it’ll be for the souls to find the altar.
Step 2. The table
Traditionally, a Dead’s Altar is made with a three-level table. If you don’t have one, you can either use boxes to form the stair-like structure or not use different levels at all. The important thing is to set up an altar. Once you get your structure on the spot, move on to the next step.
Step 3. Offerings
The yummy part of the altar. For this part, you’ll have to decide which food and drinks you’ll put on the table to honor the deceased. It’s usually traditional food, fruits, and bread; but the best option is to choose food that your deceased loved one used to enjoy in life. In other words, one should always offer the taste of their loved ones. Besides food, you can also put alcohol, cigars, toys, or anything the deceased liked as an offer in the altar.
Step 4. Photos
You must also place photos of the deceased on the altar. Just pick the best photos of the family. If you chose to set up your altar as a three-level stair, put the pictures of infants or children in the first level and adults on the second one. This is a form of respect.
Step 5. Crucifix and candles
Put a crucifix at the top of your altar and distribute some white or colored candles around the table. Then, on the floor, facing the altar, make a cross using the candles. A line of 5 with 4 across should do fine.
Step 6. Final decorations
According to the tradition, the altar is decorated with papel picado and cempasuchil flowers. But we know that these can be hard to find in some places of the world. Therefore, you can use any type of decoration you like as long as you don’t use black. Use your favorite flowers, the deceased’s favorite color or your family’s personal touch.
If you follow these tips, you’ll be ready to celebrate this holiday and honor this beautiful Mexican tradition.
Mundo Cuervo wishes a happy Day of the Dead!
