Dia de los Muertos ofrenda mail swap

An ofrenda is a wonderful tradition that I feel brings us closer to the ones that we have loved and lost, and can be a very healing experience. Before the Day of the Dead (in Mexico and in Chicano communities in the rest of North America), the ofrenda maker (and often it is the family that does this together) puts together a memorial and offering to the spirit of the deceased or lost loved one that usually includes a photo, representative objects, and favorite foods, drink, seasonal flowers/ greenery and decorations (candles, religious items, secular items such as the little skeletons that are now popular throughout the world) that evoke the loved one's memory. Ofrendas can also represent a cause, such as AIDS awareness, that is very important to remember, or a public figure (long gone or recently deceased) that someone wants to remember -- I saw many when I was in Mexico dedicated to the political cartoonist who created many of the images we often associate with Day of the Dead. Ofrendas can be in the home, in a cemetery, or in a public display. They offer us a chance to pause and appreciate that the people (or pets, or public figures) we have lost can still be with us in spirit and in our hearts.

I invite you (and your family) to create an ofrenda this year -- see the internet for inspiration, or make it all your own. Take a picture of it and send it to your partner, along with a short note or letter about the experience, about your loved one, or about what you take to heart about this tradition. Share only what you feel comfortable sharing. Your partner should then pause and take some time to reflect on what you have shared. To use an expression, your partner should "hold you in their heart" for a moment.

Message me if you have any recent 1's or 3's, as this swap could involve great emotional investment. I will angel if your partner flakes, but let's not flake, OK? Seriously uncool to do that when someone is grieving/ remembering/ investing themselves.

Dia de los Muertos is November 2, although the spirits of children are said to return on Dia de los Inocentes, which is November 1. Let's give ourselves a couple weeks to print photos and write back to our partners. All types of ofrendas are worthwhile (this year mine will be for my dog, who passed away; one year in the past I dedicated one to Johnny Cash, other years to close friends and family members who have passed away.). Please be sensitive to your recipient as well as to your partner. If you do not agree with or feel your partner's feelings, that's OK, try to suspend your judgement and just hold your partner in your heart as an individual.

Here is a link that I like:

https://quecheveredelima.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/ofrendas-para-el-dia-de-los-muertos/