Photos by Frank X. Moraga / © AmigosNAZ.com 2017
FLAGSTAFF — Several dozen students, staff members, administrators and community guests gathered in the Commons at Coconino Community College’s Lone Tree campus to receive a unique lesson on honoring departed friends and family members from the community historical group Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces.
Becca Ceballos-DeLap, Theresa Muñoz and Juan Carlos Ortiz turned an empty table into a colorful ofrenda / altar on Oct. 25 during the program “Ofrenda 101: Día de los Muertos,” a program presented by the college’s new Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) club.
Members of Nuestras Raíces provided information on the history of the ofrenda, the use of three platforms to signify the Aztec pyramid, the placement of the pink (joy and celebration), white (purity) and purple (sorrow) candles, the use of papel picado to signify the air, the use of Copal incense and the aroma of marigolds to invite the departed to visit their family and friends.
Personal touches were also added such as the departed’s favorite food and drink, a comb or brush and a mirror, water and salt to signify the spice of life.
Audience members, who had an opportunity to enjoy pan dulce and horchata, asked a variety of questions of the history of Día de los Muertos, the Aztec ritual of honoring their dead, and whether such traditions can be found in other cultures in Latin America.
For more information on Día de los Muertos, visit: