Noticing xxv - Ofrendas

This afternoon we went to hear an hour of very short plays—mostly monologues—by local playwrights. One of the pieces, written and movingly performed by Aideed Medina, was called Ofrendas, about the altar (say it in Spanish) she created in her home for Day of the Dead.

It reminded me of two things: all the marigolds I've seen being sold on streetcorners lately; and a friend of mine, Consuelo Flores, who spent all of October building four ofrendas of her own, in Los Angeles. Here is a good article in LA Magazine about altaristas Consuelo and her fellow artist Ofelia Esparza, with some history, some examples of ofrendas, and guidelines for creating your own. It is a serious undertaking, involving, love, respect, and honor of family members who have passed on. And here is a piece done by KCET from a few years ago about Consuelo. And finally, here is a piece from LA Weekly about the origins of the celebration in LA's own Boyle Heights in the 1970s, and the legacy of that movement.

I know I'm late for Day of the Dead, but it's never too late to learn something new. Here are some photos of ofrendas, showing the diversity and flare of these very personal artistic creations.

Photo by Pamela Avila

Each Ofrenda should contain something of the
4 elements: earth (marigolds), air (papeles), fire (candles),
and water (drinks as well as little bowls of water)

Here's a little something on the meaning of marigolds

And yes, marigolds are also a component of Hindu Diwali celebrations, which this year occurred on October 27, just a few days before Day of the Dead. Here are some Diwali decorations, to round this post out.