Altar of the Dead: This is the order that your offering for the deceased should have

In Mexico, many families continue to celebrate the Day of the Dead every November 2, for which they prepare an offering where they place sweets, food, drinks, candles and more items hoping that the souls of those who were once in this earthly world will be delighted with a banquet placed in their honor. Although many people prepare the Altar of the Dead with a lot of love and effort, it has its own rules of execution, according to the tradition itself.

Those who prepare the offering gather chopped paper, cardboard boxes, sweets, candles, mirrors, photographs of their deceased, marigold flowers and the foods that those people enjoyed most in life to prepare and organize them on the different floors of the altar, but the order of each element and article is important in this offering and must be respected, according to what tradition dictates.

On this occasion we will tell you how to prepare your offering this Day of the Dead to receive your loved ones who have transcended to the afterlife, taking into account the two official models of altars: two and seven stories.

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How to prepare the Altar of the Dead?

To celebrate this beautiful tradition, people go to the places that best suit their budget and where they know they will find everything they are looking for to raise the altar in honor of their faithful deceased, therefore, on this occasion we share with you the types of offerings that can be made, what elements each one must have and the meaning of these.

In Mexican tradition it is noted that there are two types of altars: those that are built with three floors and those that reach up to seven. An offering with three levels represents heaven, Earth and purgatory, beliefs that have their origins in Christianity, while the complexity represented by an altar with seven steps is related to pre-Hispanic beliefs, since seven represents the destinies that exist for various types of death, according to Mexica tradition.

Altar of the Dead with three floors

• First level (base): represents the earthly world, so elements belonging to the deceased are placed here, such as personal objects, foods that he or she liked, drinks that he or she enjoyed; salt and water.
• Second level: This step corresponds to purgatory, so candles, incense, photographs and marigold flowers should be placed, elements that will guide our loved one on their journey through the afterlife.
• Third level: the sky of our altar, where religious elements such as crosses, religious images and any other element that refers to divinity will be placed, as understood by Christian tradition.

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Altar of the Dead with seven floors

This model is more closely related to pre-Hispanic tradition, as it alludes to the fact that the steps represent seven of the nine stages that souls will go through in Mictlán after dying. It should be said that elements of the Christian tradition are also mixed in this altar due to the history of this tradition in Mexico over the years.

• First level (base): An image of a saint or some representation of the faith that is professed is placed.
• Second level: Images of the souls in purgatory are placed, so that the deceased has “permission” to visit the world of the living.
• Third level: Salt is placed to purify the soul of our deceased during his visit.
• Fourth level: The traditional bread of the dead is placed for the souls that come to the offering.
• Fifth level: step intended for the favorite foods of the deceased, as well as the drinks he or she enjoyed the most.
• Sixth level: photographs of our loved one, as well as personal items.
• Seventh level: a cross made of seeds or flowers is placed.

In this offering, the number of floors that make up your offering does not matter, but rather the affection with which you prepare to receive and honor your faithful deceased in this current Mexican tradition.

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