An ofrenda – in English this means an offering to honor deceased relatives.
Often confused with Halloween, there’s much more to Dia de los Muertos than parties and candy.
Today, November 2nd, is All Souls Day by Catholic reckoning, or Dia de los Muertos in the local tradition. The day is celebrated by building ofendas (offering or alters) and visits to cemetary shrines to honor deceased relatives. As I walked downtown I witnessed alters being built with offerings of crucifixes, flowers, images of the saints, brightly colored fabics, and salt and water.
Walking through the town cemetary I saw families honoring their ancestors by cleaning shrines and adorning them with freshly cut flowers. This all happens joyfully – it’s a holiday outting filled with laughter and music and celebration.
When you come:
A great place to stay is Casa Oasis Todos Santos. Located in the La Poza district a stones throw from the coast, this vacation rental is brand new and highly recommended:
https://evolvevacationrental.com/340168/
Written by: Steve Smith
Steve Smith inherited the wanderlust and has always needed to see what's around the next corner. In his college years he enjoyed many memorable (and cheap) forays into Mexico sleeping under the stars, but today that's all changed. Since 2006 he's contributed stories and photographs to the digital magazine In The Know Traveler, and in 2014 he assumed an associate editor role with the same. Published both in digital and print formats, his international assignments have taken him to the Middle East, Asia, North/Latin/South America, Europe, and the Caribbean. His Facebook page (Steve's Roadtrippin' Travels) spotlights both his photography and how his global road travels intersect with digital storytelling using dynamic space-age mapping technology.
Photos by: Steve Smith
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