Verified answer

Hey! I'm glad you are interested in such a beautiful holiday for many Spanish-speaking counties...

I'm actually hosting an event at my university..I'll talk about the Day of the Dead, its origins, traditions, and will describe every single element on the "altar" which is called "la ofrenda" or "offering".

There are many elements needed to build a proper Altar de Muertos (Day of the Dead Altar)...This link gives you the description for just some of the elements.... http://www.inside-mexico.com/ofrenda.htm

and this is a list of the elements I use in my alatrs

If you have any questions... just ask...and I'll give you the meaning for that particular offering...

• White table cloth

• Papel picado (cut-tissue paper: purple, orange, Mexican pink/fuchsia, white, and other colors)

• Crucifix

• Candles (many of them, small and large)

• Flowers

• Painted sawdust (orange, purple, red/pink)

• Lime

• Salt

• Incense (copal)

• Pictures of the defunct and Saints/religious pictures (some of their favorite things, toys/kids, hats, etc)

• Sugar skulls

• Food

o Rice

o Atole

o Café

o Chocolate

o Tamales, mole, etc.

• Jofaina (washbasin), aguamanil (jug), soap and a towel.

• Pitcher with glass

• Mirror

• Sugar cane

• Salt

• Bread of the Dead

• Cigarettes/cigars and alcohol

• Papel picado

• Skeletons (paper)

• Dry fruits

• Fresh fruits

• Personal belongings of the dead person

• Dog

• Several Boxes (for the construction of the altar)

• Ashes

Unless she was a family member of yours, it would not be appropriate to make such an altar for her. In Mexico the spirits of the dead were believed to come back once a year to visit their families, and the little altars were to remind them of their time on earth and their continuing ties to the living. It's only for families, otherwise you would be mocking the custom.

Altar* I thought they were just to pay homage to the dead, The photos of their deceased loved ones, or sometimes I've heard of setting out the persons favorite food and things like Candles and flowers..Just altogether to pay their respects to their lost loved ones.

See : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dia_de_los_muertos#Ob...