Day of the Dead Alter

My Day of Dead Alter celebrates my ancestors from Africa using the African mask, my late friend’s love of wine and the fruit is homage to the apple tree in my late grandfather’s yard.
My alter includes a mirror and a scarf with stars on it. The mirror is there because each time I look at myself, I see my ancestors staring back at me. The scarf represents the beautiful night sky that my friend’s ashes were scattered into from a plane.

My alter uses several of the traditional Day of the Dead Alter elements; I have lit candles, wine for drinking and apples for eating. The plants give a lush garden feel and the palm tree is representative of the palm trees on the Ivory Coast of Africa.

I do not own one white sheet, because all of my sheets are colorful but I do recognize that traditional alter would have a white backdrop.

The making of this alter has been an interesting experience as I searched in boxes for memoirs of deceased friends and family, I realized that I do not have any memorabilia of family and friends. I have moved more than 15 times, since I left my parents house. I once lived overseas and in several states along the east coast, I feel that moving has caused me to lose some sentimental photos and other items. I believe that those from Mexico have a much closer connection with those that who have died and keep anything for creating the Day of the Dead Alter. I am now on a mission to get copies of any photos that I may have lost and keep something to help me remember those that I have lost. People use a variety of methods to cope with losing someone that they love; I find it very hard to keep anything around that reminds me of someone I’ve lost. I do believe that this sentiment has widely affects many in the American culture because we do not celebrate the dead, but morn the dead.