Honoring Loved Ones

In every spiritual center I’ve led, I’ve brought the practice of Day of the Dead to the community building altars to the deceased and remembering the eternal nature of Love. This year I brought myself to Mazatlan to participate in the ritual first hand. The resort I stayed at began the preparation four or five days in advance placing altars in various nooks and crannies. The visibly public altars were in memoriam of famous Mexicans…Frieda Kahlo and many movie stars and musicians I didn’t recognize. In the more private spaces employees and family members were honored.

I stood outside of Angelo’s Italian Restaurant where half of the altar honored the retaurant’s namesake Angelo and the other half a young employee. A waiter stepped outside and spoke me through the seven different stair steps of the altar and their meaning. The first level is on the ground and includes religious iconography along with marigolds. Marigolds symbolize life with their bright colors and their lively scent is figured to attract souls of the departed. The second level is the first step of the altar. It includes candles and lights to show the way along with religious iconography such as the Virgin de Guadalupe or saints to show the way is supported. The third level hosts personal belongings with salt. Salt represents purification. The fourth level has skulls typically made of sugar, wax or porcelain. It could also include the bread for sustenance in the journey between levels. The fifth level was my favorite to look at as it showed the life loves of the deceased….what they indulged in while in physical form. This included a motorcycle jacket on one of the altars, tequila, cigars…whatever the individual interest was. The sixth level was photos of the deceased. The seventh level wasn’t a stair step but was above the altar representing the heavens. This too included religious symbolism and marigolds. Each altar, the waiter told me, had to have a kachina on it (male or female skeleton dressed up) and a boned dog.

There is a Day of the Dead bread that is like the Jewish challah bread in consistency covered in sugar. This bread can be plain or have a carmel or cream filling (I tried them both). The families celebrate at the grave or in their homes sitting around telling stories about their loved ones who have passed. Then at the town square there is a big party with a parade. Dancers, fireworks, confetti, marching bands, and the mayor made up the parade as did floats that passed at free cerveza (beer) to the bystanders.

I sat in my hotel room recalling my beloved father and imagining his seven steps. On his personal altar stair I would put sports memorabilia, saltwater taffy to represent the Oregon Coast, papaya to symbolize Hawaii, black licorice and a patent or two. I closed my eyes to see this invisible altar, then gave thanks to the Divine for my father. I did the same for several of my close friends I miss then sat in the energy of Love, which never fades and never dies.

With Love, Bonnie