Big chain stores like Target have sold Day of the Dead products such as decorated skulls, whimsical skeleton figures and cut paper banners for the last few years. Many more people now participate in community Day of the Dead celebrations, and they’re also creating their own ofrendas at home, adorning them with photos, food and images of skulls and skeletons, or calacas, as they are called in Spanish. The primary components of Dia de los Muertos are the altars or ofrendas, filled with photos, candles, flowers and offerings to lure the spirits of departed friends, loved ones and even pets back for a visit. The 81-year-old artist and designer is credited with helping to spread Day of the Dead traditions throughout the country, with many non-Latinos now embracing the imagery and art of the celebration. He also sparked a celebration in his hometown of Anaheim, as well as Fullerton, San Juan Capistrano, San Diego and as far away as Australia. His efforts were so successful that Perez was recruited to curate Dia de los Muertos celebrations in other communities as well, from the Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco to the Oakland Museum. That chance encounter led Perez to be one of the key creators of what would become an annual cross-cultural community tradition in Petaluma, with art, music, dance and even a procession. 1 and 2.īut with a lively artistic sensibility, Perez instantly recognized the possibilities in a colorful holiday that can be both serious and irreverent, somber and joyful. In Petaluma’s Oak Hill Park 20 years ago, artist Peter Perez met a woman who complained that she couldn’t convince the City Council to start a Day of the Dead tradition in town.Īlthough Perez is a second-generation Mexican American, his family, perhaps under pressure to assimilate, did not celebrate Dia de los Muertos, the traditional days of remembrance, which fall on Nov. Rising smoke takes prayers to heaven and the gods.Ĭreating a colorful and aromatic Day of the Dead altar invites tender and joyful memories Or make your own by watching a Youtube video.Ĭalli incense: Derived from the copal tree, it symbolizes the transformation from the physical to the supernatural. These are available at crafts stores and some Mexican markets. They symbolize the wind, one of the elements of life. Some see them as curtains with holes to allow the soul to pass through and visit. Papel Picado or perforated paper: Elaborate designs are cut into sheets of colored tissue paper and strung like banners on the altars. Water: Spirits will be thirsty, and water represents one of the elements of life. Some traditional foods include rice, mole, pumpkin and seasonal fruits. Sugar represents the sweetness of life.įood: Place some of your loved one’s favorite foods. Personalize them with the name of a departed friend or loved one. Sugar Skulls: Use your imagination to decorate these folk art pieces, which represent people who have died. Sometimes a path of petals are strewn leading to the altar. Marigolds: The musky scent of these bold and bright yellow flowers, symbolic of death in the Aztec culture in pre-Colombian Mexico, are said to help guide spirits to your altar and represent the brevity of human life. Pan de muertos: An oval sweet bread with anise and orange peel baked round to symbolize human life. Photographs: Place pictures of family, friends, pets or people you admired who have died.Ĭandles or lanterns: These light the way for spirits on their journey to your altar.
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