Day Of The Dead - Need Ideas.

Mike... I worked in Tijuana for 20 years, so I am familiar with what is done there, but I doubt if there is any "standard". I am sure that what they do in Mexico City or Oaxaca or any other Mexican city will have their own variations...

But, the altars are for the dead not the living. What is placed on the altars are things that the departed (who are come back once a year) liked. So around Tijuana what you see on many altars are bottles of Tequila, Cerveza, and cigars. Then there are the deceased's favorite foods... so tacos, tamales... etc

The skulls are sugar skulls, but the original tradition was for families to retain the skulls of their relatives which had that person's history etched into it along with fancy decorations.

Nov 1. is when the children return, Nov. 2 is when the adults return.

Many Mexican families celebrate the Day at the gravesites, and decorate the headstones. They also leave lots of food and alcohol there at the grave as well.

Oh... and Orange Mums... not sure why.. but always.. orange mums.

Edit.. that would be the basics. The rest that you might see... those really over the top ones, are more commercialization. Not what you see in traditional homes.

This is more the type of "altar" that I am familiar with....

http://whokilledjamesnorris.com/blog/2011/11/02/feliz-dia-de-muertos/

most were some variation of something simple like this and one of those "over the top" constructions.

But this is what they are "supposed" to be (as far as what I was told). Refreshments for the dead returning for the day.

only one person... i guess that's something. it's one of the reasons i didn't ask about the voodoo or satan thing - i doubt many here practice either one officially. i'll have to play with ideas. thanks.

---Mike Savad

I would go online and take a look at paranormal and haunted home sites as well. Their are tone with lots of references and links.

Didn't it come to you in your dreams ???

no, it came up when making that voodoo piece and also my up coming avatar. the problem with paranormal sites are -- they are run by people that know very little about things. because this holiday is a real thing, and those that have enough time to run a ghost site, will never get facts right since i'm not making it for them, i'm making it for those that celebrate this holiday. there are lots of pieces of information, but forming ideas out of all of them and merging it with ideas i have right now, that's the harder part.


---Mike Savad

Day of dead in Latvia
Shortly after the sun has gone down on 21st of November , family members gather at the gravesites of their relatives, carrying small garlands made of pine or spruce branches, which they place by the headstones, along with lit candles. As darkness sets in, every cemetery in Riga is ablaze with the lights of thousands of candle flames.
http://kontrabanda.blogspot.nl/2012/11/svecisu-vakars-eve-of-candles.html

Idea from the other part of the world

Guna

Was thinking of a gnarly "family tree" as a flame of a candle with skulls perched on the branches. I found some wicked pissha images (ideas), but I learned alllllll about infringement here lately.

In the eighties and nineties, I was an Occult Expert for the Fannin County Sheriff's Department, with Recommendation from the State Attorney General. On the Voodoo issue, I would not use any authentic symbols or displays. On the four or five cases I had to go on, and two were extremely sickening to see, the common thread was whoever done them, used symbols and displays from pictures and movies, which helped because they were either in a wrong context, or not even real symbols. Giving to much information can cause some sick idiots to commit heinous crimes for the purpose of effect (Drug manufacturers are known for this, i.e. Matamoros). Go for creative effect and not so much an authentic display.

i agree with you about the paranormal sites, but some of them have lots of links and maybe one will be a decent link that can help you.

I see the African marigold and hybrids used in Day of the Dead celebrations in lieu of the true form Tagetes eructus. It's much taller, medicinal and has a scent that is supposed to draw the dead near.

Day of the Dead celebrations have nothing to do with the paranormal.

You cannot make a "generic" Day of the Dead altar. They are VERY personal. Sure you can take the concept and make it an art piece but that is not what it is all about. It is all about the dead relative who you are honoring. You don't create something to try to raise the dead. Don't make this a Zombie thing.. it is not that.

so anyway, it's a month later and time to upload new stuff and this is the final creation



i have 5 self portraits in this btw. some are more obvious than others.


---Mike Savad

naturally it doesn't load....


---Mike Savad

something going on the Ad Mocking thread something is wrong with it.........it might be a virus....

But you can shift click on the place where your thumbnail is supposed to be and it will load

If you count the 2 on the wax can then I found all five.

Nicely done BTW ;O) The paper cut out must have been a chore.

yeah the paper part was interesting to do, trying to figure out, where the cut outs should be and to make it look like paper, where as it all connects. yeah, the 2 is on the can. matching the font to that bottle was a bit of a chore as well. i like it because i could put all my favorite foods on the table. i don't care much for the mexican food.


---Mike Savad

Yep.. as I mentioned what goes on the altar are the things the dead person enjoyed in life. I was going to mention the ribs as being a little odd, but that's the thing with the Day of the Dead altars.. anything goes.

yep, i like ribs, though i get a bit sick if i eat too much, but when i'm dead it's fine. donuts too..


---Mike Savad