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Food placed on the altar consists of the loved ones favorite dishes and treats. Drinks should be placed in the altar to quench the thirst of the dead after their long journey back home. In many villages it is customary to offer alcoholic beverages. Salt is considered the spice of life and is one the staples that are often left at the altar.
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Set up altars in their homes and often communities host a variety of events. Altars are usually decorated with flowers, candles, pan de muerto, ceramic skulls, and most importantly pictures of loved ones.
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Candles, flowers and the favorite foods of the deceased are placed on the grave and the family visits, eats, sings and tells favorite stories about those who have passed
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Sugar skulls are either bought or made by families to add to their altar, and the name of the deceased is often written in icing on the forehead. In addition to the traditional sugar versions, you can also get chocolate and biscuit ‘sugar skulls’ during this period.
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They follow the path of Marigolds home, where their families have alters with pan de muertos, sweet tamales and sugary calaveras
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The scents of marigolds as well as burning copal (a resin of the copal tree) are thought to be most beloved by the spirits of the dead and invite them back home.
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The offerings at the alters are changed to be for the adult spirits such as pan de muertos, tomales, mole, cigarettes, tequila
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Wearing masks and big costumes to chase stubborn souls back to the land of the dead
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Lightly orange-flavored sweet bread, which has ‘bonelike’ decorations atop it and a healthy coating of sugar.
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Calacas are clothed, decorated and colorful skeleton figurines. Dressed in long, sometimes regal and traditional Mexican dresses and styles
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Attendees paint their faces in the typical style of the Catrina skull, complete with colorful accents around the eyes and cheeks, and dress in outfits appropriate for the occasion
