UNCG - MLS610C Unit 6 Day of the Dead Ofrenda
Creative project: Create a Day of the Dead altar in your own home (or garden) for your ancestors to be completed for the Day of the Dead festival (October 31–November 2).
Skull in Marigolds from Reign Trading Co. Gallery 4“The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos, Día de los Difuntos or Día de Muertos in Spanish) is an ancient Aztec celebration of the memory of deceased ancestors that is celebrated on November 1 (All Saints’ Day) and November 2 (All Souls’ Day). The holiday is especially popular in Mexico where it is a national holiday.”
-- quote from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead
Include as many of the traditional elements discussed in this lesson, in your reading and your research.
Take a digital photograph and post it on your blog and write an essay reflecting of your experience, which will be read by the rest of the class.
Next week’s assignments will be to go to other student’s blogs and to discuss what you have seen and read about other people’s experiences in the Discussion Forum.
Please allow time to look at your fellow students’ blogs and gather your thoughts.
posted by Y @ 8:33 PM
2 Comments:
After several years of counseling, I just recently got some of my dead relatives and friends tucked away nice and tidy. Doing something to call back memories of them was not on my fall agenda nor was building something, superstitious or not, that might just conjure their spirits into my apartment that is new to me and not known to any of them.
Therefore, where the assignment called for building an ofrenda for ancestors, I thought long and hard, back through four generations and I couldn't think of a single one of 'em I'd even begin to ask in for tea -- blood relative or not.
I picked a person to honor with my ofrenda who I would not mind if her spirit enjoyed the items I offer. And there's quite a few.
I did not light all the candles because with just the two Virgin of Guadalupe lighted, my ofrenda starting looking more like a fire trap than a sacred space.
The flowers are white shasta daisies dyed yellow or blue or purple; leaving the flowers in the dye for different lenghts of time causes the variations in the shades of the colors. The colors are, of course, those used traditionally in ofrendas.
Partially hidden by the yellow bunch on the left of the large picture is a bowl of apples and bananas. Sitting just in front of the bowl are limes, some plastic skeletons, a chicken shaped recipe holder, and another bowl, filled with skulls. I'm vegetarian so the chicken is there for the eggs, which I don't eat either but my invited guest might.
On the right of the big picture, near the blue, purple, and fushia flowers, is a tea pot and cup, cornbread, cross rolls and more skeletons.
The black cloth with two skeletons on it is a hand towel and the bowl to the right of the towel is a finger bowl.
The backdrop picturing houses is a painting of a beach in Georgetown, Exumas, my favorite spot on Earth.
What looks like blue lace is actually a tissue paper cutout of bats in boxes. Their heads are pointed upside down on the top edge and pointed inward around the left and right edges.
And the picture in the middle of the ofrenda is the dustcover of a book. The person to whom my ofrenda is dedicated is Eleanor Roosevelt, famous for many things including the quote, "A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water."
Go to other student’s blogs and to discuss what you have seen and read about other people’s experiences in the Discussion Forum.
This is what I posted on the class' discussion forum site.
I am glad that there is enough time built into this class' schedule that we *do* have time to genuflect on the content. I have spent much time viewing and thinking about our ofrendas.
Amy – I was impressed how traditional ofrenda items were also relevant and held importantance for her loved ones.
Anne Propst – I heard the music from her project over her meaningful ofrenda pics. This added what I guess was an unintended feature but it is effectively impressive ofrenda music!
Anne Wilson – A deeply felt and descriptive passage that conveys the very personal history of each item, which in turn allows us to experience a larger history of the post WWII era.
Ashanti – Expressed how an extended family became a nuclear family, if only for a few hours, around a community ofrenda. I forwarded a link to your blog to a couple of my school teacher friends. They found many reasons why they should include ofrendas as learning experiences for their next year middle-schoolers. They send their thank you!
Bre – I empathized with reluctance to arrange an ofrenda and then, shared in describing peace as a surprise emotion found afterward. I was comforted by this.
Peter - rather Hemingway-esque honest manifesto and eulogy to his father. Priceless in every good kind of inspirational way.
Debbie’s -- words written to readers and a sharing of a special affirmation to her friend. Thank you for being this honest.
Yvette - Not Available. Sorry.
George -- decidedly modern adaptation (including use of electronic enhancement through photo shop technology) at first jolted my sensitivities but as I read, I realized George communicates without a doubt that ofrendas are highly personal celebrations of very intimate relationships.
Heather – I like Heather’s collecting traditional items to display and then creating a narrative that included her grandmother as well as fearlessly recognizing and addressing her own mortality.
Hugh – reminded me of my own rummaging through household items and mentioned macabre of skeletons. I noticed in the stores last week that Anglos seem fine with images of witches, ghosts, bats, cats, and pumpkins but skeletons are scary and clerks I asked were uncomfortable when I asked for skulls. Especially appreciative of Hugh’s notice that this is an important season expecially to Mexicans. It's a Global Arts concept for sure!
Jeannette – showed us that there is a spot in everyone’s home where items of importance are placed and that place is not necessarily a major focal point. Her window sill. I loved the peace invoked by the arrangement and the feeling of two windows on the sill, not just one.
Jessica – definitely had too much fun with this project. Cheers!
Kim – delicate ofrenda, reminiscent of quinceanera young ladies.
Lakisha – describing ghost stores told by her family and reluctance to build ofrenda, too. Ironically when I visited her site the picture on her blog downloaded as an ghostly empty square. I saved her closing quote from an anonymous writer.
Marjie – added insight to my honoree, Eleanor Roosevelt. In the context of our Frida discussion, I’d never thought about the “grandes dames” aspect of the pre-WWII women. Excellent idea. Here is another female artist only lately immortalized (in historic meaning of “lately.”): Tamara de Lempicka http://www.goodart.org/artoftdl.htm
Paludan – Sorry. Not Available at time of my viewing.
Mollie – Sorry, Mollie. N/A
Mona – Tribute to grandfather and joining together by other family members to experience the idea of an ofrenda with some indication that the family plans to make the tradition one of their own.
Nicole – facing the reality and coming to peace with the lost at his early age of a treasured uncle. The prominence of the chair sticks out in my mind. Although used for the food display, the chair seemed to say okay, come visit and sit with me for a bit.
Oby – I'm still reading discussion board.
Olivia – Items inherited that may not have a permanent place in home, the ofrenda is an opportunity to have the items out for public or private display at least once a year. It made me realize that average Anglos have no holidays for celebrating things like a grandfather’s art collection. Our historic loss but this class makes me see the gain.
Sheryl – Crossing culture somewhat bound by protestant aversion to idols and home altars and honestly expressing same. Interesting observation about urban and southern Mexico observing the Day of the Dead as important vs. as habitual. Sort of like difference between Christmas in smalltown U.S.A. and any big monster City. I really appreciated the lengthy Frida bio and picture of Cozumel ofrenda.
Suzy – Captured a supernatural aspect of ofrendas with candles and candles and more candles arranged in front of grandfather’s picture. I was struck by the juxtaposition and felt harkened back to Dissanayake's making special.
Johanna – moved discussion and arrangement of ofrendas into a wider culture’s participation and use as not only a remembrance of the deaths of loved ones but also the tragic event at the poultry processing plant fire of some years back that caused the deaths. Johanna also included a guideline for Christians to follow in arranging ofrendas; this was quite revealing and to me provided a modern example of the history of western churches adopting ancient practices into their belief systems to accommodate priors. I thought it rather presumptive but was intrigued by the suggestion that the ofrendas are justified – perhaps permitted is better term -- when the pagan activity is considered a form of prayer. As usual, Johanna’s posts were intellectually provoking.
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