Ofrendas: These are the altars composed of offerings that are erected during the Día de los Muertos season to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed on. In addition to marigolds, pan de muerto, sugar skulls, tissue paper designs, a glass of water, and copal incense, they typically include a late relative’s photograph, favorite foods, drinks (including liquor), and beloved personal items. Modern ofrendas have become much more artistic and whimsical.
Cempasúchil: The name of a wild marigold that grows in southern Mexico, these flowers are a popular addition to ofrendas due to their brilliant orange colors. The flower’s Aztec legend involves two young lovers; when the boy dies in war, the girl asks the sun god to be reunited with him. She is turned into this 20-petal flower, whose colors are like the sun, and the boy instantly comes back as a hummingbird. Other common altar flowers are bright red cockscomb and white baby’s breath.
Mictecacihuatl: The “Lady of the Dead” in Aztec mythology, this queen ruled over the afterlife in the underworld with her husband. The legend explains that she was born but then sacrificed as an infant. Represented by a skull with mouth open, in order to swallow stars during the day, she presides over Día de los Muertos, as she did for ancient Aztec rituals centuries ago.
