Alex Perez places baked goods as offerings to visiting spirits on her family’s porch ofrenda at their Temecula home. Not only for her family’s personal beliefs, the ofrenda also serves as an educational experience for members of the community and children who trick-or-treat in their neighborhood during Halloween. Shane Gibson photo
DÃa de los Muertos is a time in Mexican Christian-Catholic culture where those who practice the craft of making an ofrenda, which means offering, create an altar with a variety of symbolic items, to honor the life and memory of those who have died and to invite their spirits to visit during the Day of the Dead.
The modern Mexican holiday practice of celebrating the dead originated in Aztec culture hundreds of years ago and blended with Christian-Catholic beliefs. The belief is that the ofrenda helps support their deceased loved ones spiritual journey, and during the Mexican holiday of DÃa de los Muertos, their souls awaken and celebrate with those who are living.
This photo story is a local journey in visiting a variety of both personal and community ofrendas in preparation for the cel
