Ofrendas

I've always been interested in the Mexican day of the Dead - Dia de los Muertos. It seemed a joyful remembrance of lost ones .As I had got my Mexican themed box out to sell I decided this year to make an Ofrendas to honour not only my mum who died on Halloween, but my dad, grandparents, Friend and pets. 
It was a really satisfying gathering the photos and objects that they had all once owned, and putting out food they enjoyed. I chose photos of mum and dad on their honeymoon in Mevagissey and my grandparents wedding day. My dad ate an orange every evening and my mum loved nuts. She also told me how she had forgotten her gas mask on the bus and that she had been eating a sherbet fountain - so I managed to buy one on ebay! I also made the traditional Pan de Muerto and bought ground star anise and orange blossom water especially for it. It's a sweet bread so I was really looking forward to trying it, unfortunatly the bread didn't rise - I tested the yeast I'd used with sugar and warm water and no bubbles appeared - damn! 
The objects were great fun to find - my dads watch and dog tags, his hip flask and 4 travelling cups,my mums earrings and a little black cat she kept in her handbag. She was not a superstitious woman so Ive no idea why she did this! I also found a necklace from my grandma and the old stereoscopic viewer from my grandpa. I put a Mindfulness saying Friend used in her work and a necklace she gave me before she died in honour of our friendship. All these represented the people and would draw them to the Ofrendas.
I nearly put my dog Max's box of ashes on the alter but it was on a high shelf in the front room and I didn't want to risk climbing on the sofa to get it! I did have  a small wooden box with a piece of his fur and his dog tags, and a little cat tin with a piece of my first cats fur and her tag and a piece of my snake Amelia's shedded skin!!!
There were lots of symbolic items to go on the alter which itself has 3 stages to represent the path from earth to the afterlife and the boundary between the two. Fire, wind, earth and water, 4 candles for the 4 compass points to guide the souls. Salt to purify the soul which I put in one of my mums pestle and mortars which she collected - she was a pharmacist! The skulls represent the dead as does the bread with its skull and bones pattern!The scent of marigolds is supposed to guide back the souls but no marigolds this time of year  but my dad grew alstromerias and my mum loved lillies.
The Ofrendos was made several days ago and this evening, on All Souls Day I lit the candles. It really did feel like a loving celebration of the people and animals no longer with me. I shall do this every year - hopefully I will have mastered  the bread by next year!