How to make an ofrenda at home for Día de Muertos
An ofrenda is a home altar for Día de Muertos, the Day of the Dead, where a family remembers the people they've lost. It starts with their photos, one for each person, and around them go the things they loved. You don't need a big space: a table or a shelf is enough. Here's how to set one up, step by step.
In short
- What you need
- Their photos, candles, marigolds and the food they loved
- Where
- A table, a shelf or the top of a dresser
- Most important
- Saying their names, and telling the kids who they were
How to make an ofrenda, step by step
Every family does it a little differently. This is the most common way:
- Pick a spotA table, a shelf or the top of a dresser, somewhere the family walks by every day.
- Start with the photosOne for each person you’re remembering, with their name on a little card if you can. They’re the heart of the ofrenda.
- Add marigolds and candlesOrange marigolds (cempasúchil) and candles are the classics. Never leave candles burning unattended.
- Add what they lovedTheir favorite food and drink, pan de muerto, a song, a deck of cards, the hat they always wore.
- Add water and paper decorationsMany families add a glass of water and papel picado, the cut-paper flags.
- Tell their storiesGather around it, say their names out loud, and tell the kids who each person was. That’s what it’s for.
Which photos to use
Most families follow the same few customs:
- Only people who have passed away
- In most homes, the ofrenda is just for them. Photos of the living go somewhere else.
- If you don't have a photo
- Write their name by hand, or use something that was theirs. And ask around: someone in the family almost always has one.
- One per person
- Ideally one where you can see their face, with their name written on the back.
A tip
If you didn't grow up with it
Día de Muertos isn't Halloween, and it isn't sad: it's a warm, family celebration of remembering. If you're joining a family that celebrates it, ask them how they do it; the details change from region to region and from family to family. In many homes, November 1 is for the children who passed and November 2 for the adults.
Keep their names and stories
Every year, standing in front of the ofrenda, someone asks: "Who is he, again?" If nobody writes it down, a generation later nobody knows.
In ReuniTree, every person in your family has a page with their photo, their dates and the memories the family writes about them. When the anniversary of someone who passed comes up, ReuniTree reminds the whole family.
People also ask
What do you put on an ofrenda?
Photos of the people you’re remembering, marigolds, candles, their favorite food and drink, pan de muerto, water and papel picado. And the things that were theirs.
Can you put living people's photos on an ofrenda?
In most homes, no: the ofrenda is for the people who have passed away. Photos of the living go somewhere else in the house.
When do you set up an ofrenda?
Many families set it up at the end of October and keep it through November 2. In many homes, November 1 is for the children and November 2 for the adults, but it varies by region and by family.
Is Día de Muertos the same as Halloween?
No. They fall around the same time, but Día de Muertos is a family celebration of remembering the people you’ve lost, with their photos, their favorite foods and their stories.