Desert Botanical Garden displays mega altar to honor lost loved ones for Dia de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos is just around the corner and to commemorate this celebration of the dead, where people from Mexico to the Philippines remember and connect with the memory of those who have passed on, the Desert Botanical Garden is inviting the Phoenix community to honor their loved ones this weekend by adding their portrait to an artisan-made public altar.
The event, taking place Oct. 29 and Oct. 30, will showcase an almost 30-foot altar constructed by artisans from Oaxaca, Mexico, a traditional procession of the dead and musical performances. At an extra cost, visitors can attend workshops with the Oaxacan artisans to learn how to craft alebrijes and clay skulls.
While the garden has celebrated the Day of the Dead on or around Nov. 1 and 2 in past years, this year, organizers wanted to do things differently; making it as authentic and similar to renowned Mexican traditions as possible.
According to festival curator Ulrike Figueroa, an art curator from Mexico City, she was contacted by the garden after they reached out to the Consulate General of Mexico Office in Phoenix for help. Figueroa then reached out to Rufina Ruiz, a clay artisan from Santa María Atzompa, Oaxaca, so that she would be in charge of putting together the mega altar and make the clay skulls for the altar.
"The idea of this great project is to share my culture, my roots, my tradition... that represents me," Ruiz said, adding that it's very important to her to be able to bring this type of event to the United States, where there are Latinos who have lost their loved ones and for whatever reason cannot return to their countries. For her, the altar in the garden is a way to honor them.
“I was thinking, what happens to those families who lose their loved ones as they attempt to achieve that 'American Dream' and don't come back (to their countries)? This is a way to pay homage to them," Ruiz said. "We have all lost loved ones and this is a way of building community at the altar. I think it's the best way to tell them 'I don't see you, but you're still here with me,'" added Ruiz.
A Mexican tradition with Indigenous roots
While celebrated in many Latin American countries, as well as Spain and the Phillippines, the celebration as it is commonly observed today in the U.S. is largely based on Mexican immigrant traditions, which are rooted primarily in Indigenous customs that were soon appropriated by the Catholic Church during the colonization of Mexico.
According to Aztec traditions, when someone died they were buried wrapped in a mat and their relatives would organize a celebration of life to guide them on their way to Mictlán, the Aztec underworld, according to the Mexican Government site.
On Día de los Muertos, which takes place on Nov. 1 and 2, the souls of the deceased return home, to the world of the living, to be with their families and to be nourished by the essence of the food that is offered to them at the altars placed in their honor.
And while in different regions it is celebrated in different ways, what is most common is the making of altars, which carry the images of departed loved ones and offerings in their memory.
For Ruiz, the altars that are elaborated in homes and public spaces across Mexico are a way of honoring loved ones and basking in their presence during Día de los Muertos. What should not be missing from an altar, according to Ruiz, are photos of the deceased and a glass of water, which represents the fountain of life and the purity of souls.
Do it at home: How to make an altar for your loved one and what to put on it
“There are those who believe in reincarnation, that is, reincarnating in the afterlife ... personally for me, my mother has not died. I think that when you say they've died it is because you forget about them and in this case, I keep remembering them,” Ruiz said.
Mega altar, clay skulls and more Oaxacan handicrafts
The altar constructed at the Desert Botanical Garden will have more than 200 skulls made by hand in Ruiz's workshop, located in Oaxaca, with three different clay techniques. Alongside them are at least 100 clay pots and jars also handcrafted in Ruiz's workshop, as well as fruits, candles and other typical offerings. Above all "it will carry the hearts of many people, of all of us who are going to participate. It is an altar made with a lot of love," Figueroa said.
According to Figueroa, the mega altar measures 9 meters — approximately 29 feet. A group of 16 people from Atzompa, Oaxaca, have been producing skulls for more than seven months.
"It's a long process, but at the same time incredible and wonderful," said Ruiz.
A team of 10 people worked for a week on installing the altar and the arch at the entrance of the garden, filled in its entirety by cempasúchil, or marigolds.
More celebrations: Here's where to celebrate the Day of the Dead in metro Phoenix
The procession will take place each day in the garden starting at 5 p.m. These processions are meant to represent the traditional processions that help guide deceased loved ones back to the land of the dead. According to Ruiz, in Oaxacan tradition, the procession begins by praying the rosary in a church, then the community walks through the streets until they reach the cemetery where they once again pray and where all souls are collected.
At the garden, the procession will take place for one hour and will involve the burning of sorrows, where people will be asked to write their sorrows on a piece of paper and then collectively burned.
In addition to the altar and the procession through the garden, musician Pablo Osorio will perform on Oct. 29 and will sing traditional Oaxacan folk songs, including "La Martiniana," a typical song for Día de los Muertos which tells the story of a mother telling her daughter not to cry for her when she dies, but to sing for her, as her soul remains alive.
Día de los Muertos at the Desert Botanical Garden
Details: Día de los Muertos celebration at the Desert Botanical Garden (1201 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix). From 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 29, and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 30.
The community altar and entrance arch will be up from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6 during regular garden hours.
The price is included with the entrance fee or membership of the garden, not including workshop fees.
For a complete list of each presentation and to purchase tickets, visit the site: https://dbg.org/events/dia-de-muertos/2022-10-29/
Reach La Voz reporter Nadia Cantú at nadia.cantu@lavozarizona.com or on Twitter @nadia_cantu.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Desert Botanical Garden celebrates Día de los Muertos with community altar
