Our Community Ofrenda
Each October, our community creates a space to remember, honor, and celebrate the loved ones who have passed before us.
Our community ofrenda is inspired by the traditions of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a Mexican tradition with Indigenous roots that honors deceased loved ones through remembrance, celebration, food, flowers, photographs, candles, and meaningful objects. An ofrenda is not simply a memorial or a place for mourning—it is a space where the living and the dead are remembered together, where stories are shared, and where the people we have lost remain part of our community.
Traditions vary greatly between families and regions, but ofrendas often include photographs, candles, marigolds, water, favorite foods and drinks, personal belongings, and other offerings that help welcome and remember those who have died. Sugar skulls, or calaveras de azúcar, are another familiar symbol associated with Día de los Muertos, representing the celebration and remembrance of life alongside death.
You Are Invited to Add to Our Ofrenda
Our ofrenda will be available throughout the entire month of October, and everyone is welcome to participate.
You might:
Bring a photograph or small item that reminds you of someone you have lost. or Write their name on one of our sugar-skull pieces of paper and add it to the altar.
Light a candle in their memory.
Bring a small piece of candy or another non-perishable food item as an offering.
Simply spend a moment at the altar remembering someone you love.
Traditionally, food is an important part of an ofrenda, often including favorite foods and drinks of those being remembered. Because our altar will be maintained throughout October, we ask that food offerings here be candy or non-perishable items rather than fresh food.
And because remembrance can nourish the living as well as honor the dead, non-perishable food donations from our community ofrenda will be donated to Pagans in Need to help support members of our broader community.
A Little Piece of Our Community
Our ofrenda is especially meaningful to us because it was hand-painted and given to our community by Amy-Jo, a member of our own community. It is a beautiful example of how our traditions grow through the people who participate in them. Every year, it becomes a little more than an altar—it becomes a collective remembrance of the people, stories, and love that have shaped us.
Whether you have participated in Día de los Muertos your entire life, are learning about the tradition for the first time, or simply want a place to remember someone you love, you are welcome at our ofrenda.
Bring a name. Bring a photograph. Bring a story. Bring a little sweetness.
The dead are not forgotten when we continue to speak their names.
In partnership with our Collaborating Sponsor, Blessed Be Tea and Apothecary.