Art by St. Jude survivor Tayde
An ofrenda on campus at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Why do we celebrate the Day of the Dead?
This festivity, celebrated in Mexico, Latin America, and the United States, is an opportunity to commemorate the lives of our loved ones who have gone before us.
The traditional way to celebrate it is by creating an offering or altar, which includes photographs of our loved ones, marigold flowers, candles, papel picado (decorative paper), food, drinks, and specific items that the person being remembered liked.
May the memory of your loved ones continue! More than just remembering them, we want to honor their memory or teachings by helping children and families at St. Jude who are facing a difficult situation like cancer.
Choose a Day of the Dead card for your altar.
Make a donation and you will receive an electronic or printed card to place as an offering on your altar or to notify someone of your special donation. There are two beautiful designs to choose from!
Day of the Dead at St. Jude
Art by St. Jude survivor Tayde created for Day of the Dead
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The Day of the Dead is a joyful time that helps people remember and celebrate the lives of the loved ones that have passed away. This holiday combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day, a holiday that Spanish colonizers brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s.
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Ofrendas are offerings placed on the altars and can include a variety of items that hold significance for the departed.
Altares are the structures on which the ofrendas are placed. They can vary in complexity, from simple tables to elaborate multi-level constructions. The most common altars have three levels, representing heaven, earth, and the underworld, but some can have up to seven levels.
Ofrendas (offerings) and altares (altars) are set up in homes, cemeteries, and public spaces to welcome the spirits of the deceased back to the world of the living during the Day of the Dead celebrations.
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Some examples include of items that can function as ofrendas for your altar are:
- Photographs of the deceased
- Marigold flowers (cempasúchil)
- Papel picado (decorative paper cutouts)
- Food and drinks that the deceased enjoyed in life, such as pan de muerto (bread of the dead)
- Personal items that belonged to the deceased or items that symbolize their hobbies and interests.
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Families come together during this holiday to honor their ancestors and loved ones that have passed away. The inevitability of death is accepted rather than feared and life is celebrated rather than mourned.
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In most countries in Latin America, Mexico and the United States, this holiday is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd.
