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A traditional D\u00eda de los Muertos altar, like the one created at Agnes Cotton Academy last year, includes photos, marigolds, calaveras, papel picado and vibrant decorations.<\/p>\n
JoMando Cruz<\/p>\n
From left, Siana Ramirez, 10, and Javier Rubio, 9, color butterflies for a D\u00eda de los Muertos altar at San Anto Cultural Arts. The West Side nonprofit will host its D\u00eda de los Muertos celebration on Nov. 1.<\/p>\n
Alma E. Hernandez\/For the San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
From left,\u00a0Keli Rosa Cabunoc, development and outreach manager at San\u00a0Anto Cultural Arts, and Cuauhtli Reyna, executive director at San Anto, make flowers for the organization’s annual \u00a0D\u00eda de los Muertos altar.<\/p>\n
Alma E. Hernandez\/For the San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
One of many altars created in honor of departed loved ones is shown at\u00a0Muertos Fest in 2024.<\/p>\n
Clint Datchuk<\/p>\n
Angel Contero says she grew up in a \u201cfiltered\u201d household, one that didn\u2019t celebrate her Mexican heritage.<\/p>\n
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\u201cMy access to my Mexicanness, my Hispanicness, was a little bit limited because of the way my grandfather was raised. He was raised in a neighborhood where if you spoke Spanish, there would be repercussions,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The traditions that many Mexican American homes celebrate\u00a0\u2014 making tamales at Christmas, creating ofrendas for D\u00eda de los Muertos\u00a0\u2014 Contero didn\u2019t learn about until she was an adult.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I got older, I started wanting to know more, and I started to really love certain things about my culture,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Contero, a San Antonio-based graphic designer and illustrator, not only observes\u00a0D\u00eda de los Muertos, she also helps others celebrate it through the items she sells at her business QueBonita Craft Co. <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m exploring my culture through my art,\u201d said\u00a0Contero, who sells customized remembrance candles and mini ofrenda kits.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n As D\u00eda de los Muertos celebrations<\/a> begin to take place across the city, San Antonio Explained looks at the holiday and its centuries-old custom of creating\u00a0ofrendas to honor departed loved ones.<\/p>\n What is D\u00eda de los Muertos\u00a0<\/p>\n D\u00eda de los Muertos<\/a>, also called D\u00eda de Muertos or Day of the Dead, is a holiday rooted in ancient\u00a0Mesoamerican rituals<\/a> and influenced by Roman Catholic customs.\u00a0<\/p>\n It honors the deceased and welcomes the return of their spirits for a temporary reunion. It is a celebration that views death as a natural part of life, treating it as a continuation and not an end.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n D\u00eda de los Muertos<\/a> is celebrated in Mexico and other parts of Latin America on Nov. 1 and 2, though celebrations often start days earlier. In the U.S., it is celebrated in Mexican American communities, though it\u2019s grown to become a more widely recognized tradition.<\/p>\n Some families blend D\u00eda de los Muertos traditions with the religious customs of All Souls Day, which falls on Nov. 2.<\/p>\n What is an ofrenda<\/p>\n A D\u00eda de los Muertos\u00a0ofrenda is a collection of items displayed in memory of someone. Ofrendas typically include photos of the deceased and items that represent some of their favorite things, including food, hobbies and sports teams. Candles, flowers and vibrant decorations are also included.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n An\u00a0ofrenda (Spanish for offering) is displayed as an altar that\u2019s typically created on a tabletop and can be made in tiers that range from three to seven levels. The words ofrenda and altar\u00a0are used interchangeably.\u00a0<\/p>\n Each altar is unique, Day of the Dead observers say. An altar can be an elaborate multi-level art installation or a single-level tribute with minimal embellishment.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: Where to celebrate Day of the Dead in San Antonio<\/a><\/p>\n Traditional altars contain three tiers, which represent the afterlife, life on Earth and life before birth. Items included in a traditional ofrenda should represent the four elements\u00a0\u2014 water, fire, wind and earth. These can be represented by a glass or pitcher of water, lit candles,\u00a0papel picado (perforated paper cut into designs) and pan de\u00a0muerto (traditional Mexican sweet yeast bread).<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Other traditional items include incense, calaveras (sugar skulls that can also be made of chocolate or clay), marigolds (fresh or made of paper) and salt, which is meant to help purify the soul.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Muertos Fest will pay tribute to Texas music legend Augie Meyers<\/a><\/p>\n The debate about the proper way to create an ofrenda sometimes circulates among both experienced builders who grew up with the tradition and those new to the custom and eager to embrace to it.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say there\u2019s a right way or a wrong way to do an ofrenda because the heart and soul, the point of an ofrenda is to honor your loved ones and welcome them back,\u201d said Keli Rosa Cabunoc, development and outreach manager at San\u00a0Anto Cultural Arts, a West Side nonprofit that promotes community-based arts and engagement. The center has celebrated D\u00eda de los Muertos with a community altar and procession for nearly two decades.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s always the cultura police, people who want to see a traditional altar,\u201d she said. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s that you\u2019re honoring somebody and that you\u2019re doing it from a place of love.\u201d<\/p>\n When are\u00a0ofrendas displayed\u00a0<\/p>\n Altars start going up in mid-October, though some observers wait until closer to Nov. 1.<\/p>\n Tradition calls for the first altars, those dedicated to pets and animals, to go up on Oct. 27. Each day that follows is dedicated to honoring lost or forgotten souls, those who died tragically or children who died.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Tradition varies, according to the National Museum of the American Latino, with some customs calling for elements to be added to an\u00a0ofrenda in a particular order and on a certain day.\u00a0<\/p>\n Altars are traditionally taken down Nov. 3, though some observers say their families keep simple\u00a0ofrendas displayed throughout the year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would have a little altar with the\u00a0Virgen de Guadalupe, and we would have pictures of loved ones and candles. That was something we always had in our home,\u201d said Marco\u00a0Vargas, a local artist who works as the mural coordinator at San Anto.<\/p>\n Why create an ofrenda<\/p>\n Some families create collective ofrendas, tributes to more than one family member that contain photos from different generations. Ofrendas can honor departed relatives, pets, favorite musicians, well-known public figures or a group of people representing a social justice cause.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Creating an ofrenda is a way to learn about history by hearing stories from older generations, observers say. It\u2019s also a way to connect with family members by sharing memories.<\/p>\n Maricela Olguin, who teaches D\u00eda de los Muertos workshops at the\u00a0Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center on the West Side, remembers creating an ofrenda with her great-grandmother, who would tell stories while sorting through family photos.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would laugh and giggle,\u201d she said. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s an offering to a loved one. It\u2019s not anything to be sad about.\u201d<\/p>\n