Each type of pan de muerto is filled with symbolism. For the classic hojaldra, its round shape symbolizes the circle of life and death. The ball on top represents the skull of the deceased. And the pieces that lay across the bread in the shape of a cross signify their bones and tears.
Families create the altars with photographs and candles as a way for their departed loved ones to find their way back to their living relatives, and the food and ofrendas serve both as nourishment for the deceased after their journey as well as enticement and motivation for them to come back to the land of the living.
Every ofrenda also includes the four elements: water, wind, earth and fire. Water is left in a pitcher so the spirits can quench their thirst. Papel picado, or traditional paper banners, represent the wind. Earth is represented by food, especially bread.
Pan de Muertos
This sweet, fluffy loaf is sprinkled with sugar and topped with small bone-shaped decorations to represent the deceased. The bread is both eaten by the family and placed on the ofrenda to nourish the dead when they return to the land of the living during the festival.
People eat the bread with their families, but it is also an essential offering on home altars, or ofrendas.
Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the ofrendas food, so though the celebrators eat the food after the festivities, they believe it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so the deceased can rest after their long journey.
Fresh fruit- whatever is in season oranges, bananas, or the favorite fruit of the person you are making the altar for.
The ofrenda can be organized into two or three layers. Gods or saints go on top, along with photos or portraits of the deceased. Other religious items can also be added here. Place food, drinks and things the dearly departed loved on the second tier.
Another key element for any ofrenda is salt. It gives the spirits strength, Ramírez-Oropeza said, to journey to the land of the living. I had long thought of Día de los Muertos as an intimate holiday centered on family.
The salt, that is usually placed inside common clay bowls as well as around the ofrendra is used to purify the spirits visiting. We don't want anything to contaminate our beloved and so this will protect and purify them in the land of the living and so that the following year they can make their way back to us!
Most altars have a simple white table cloth, often one that has been passed through generations, covering the different levels. Salt is placed on the altar. It is believed that salt will protect the body from breaking down as it travels the journey between the world of the dead and of the living.
A symbolic value
When Jesus multiplied the bread to feed the crowd, bread became a sign of sharing. It also symbolised the Word of God which nourished the crowds.
For some, on some days, it is quite literally bread—that is, the food needed to sustain life that day. It could also be spiritual and physical strength to deal with one more day of chronic illness or a painfully slow rehabilitation.
Three foods traditionally associated with Day of the Dead include mole negro, hot chocolate, and pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and different variations are staples on altars throughout Mexico. Read below for more on these three dishes and their significance.
The ofrendas speak of affection toward the deceased and are an expression of love towards life. Altars are traditionally built on October 30th and 31st and are taken down November 2nd.
"Ofrendas" can be made several levels. 2 LEVELS represent the division between the earth and the sky. 3 LEVELS represent the sky, the earth and the underworld. 7 LEVELS are the most common and relate to the seven levels that a soul must traverse before reaching heaven (or hell).
Elements of an Ofrenda (text)
Papel picado serves as a colorful and meaningful trim: black represents death, purple means grief of mourning, pink is celebration, white symbolizes hope and yellow stands for the sun.
Vegetables and fruits play an important role in the celebration because they're used to decorate the altars with the deceased's favorite foods and drinks. Chili peppers, onions, tomatoes, tomatillos, jicama, apples and oranges are some of the most popular ingredients.
Prized for their bright coloring and potent fragrance, marigolds are thought to attract the souls of the dead to the ofrendas prepared for them. Families will often scatter marigold petals forming a path from their front doors to the ofrenda waiting within the home.
Years ago, I was on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula during Day of the Dead, and on ofrendas and gravesites, people put had carefully placed food (frequently tamales), liquor (almost always tequila), cigarettes, toys for children and other articles enjoyed by the deceased during their lives.
Food: The ancestor's favorite meals are placed on the altar as offerings. Here, a tamal is being served. Tamales are made from corn-based dough, wrapped in cornhusk, then steamed. They are filled with a variety of ingredients like shredded chicken in a green spicy sauce or sweetened with pineapple-cinnamon jellies.
Candles - Candles are lit to welcome the spirits back to their altars. Marigolds - These yellow-orange flowers, also called cempasúchitl, symbolize death. Their strong fragrance also help lead the dead back to their altars.