Catholic guidance on Day of the Dead offerings

Two priests told EWTN News Español that Catholic Day of the Dead altars, or ofrendas, may include cultural and religious elements while avoiding superstitious practices incompatible with the faith. Common items for these spaces include photographs of deceased loved ones, orange marigold flowers, candles, and foods that remind the living of the departed.

Father Luis Fernando Valdés, a theologian and director of theology at the Universidad Panamericana in Mexico, described death as a multidimensional event. He identified the biological and metaphysical dimension as the end of earthly life and the separation of body and soul. He also noted the affective and family dimension involving grief and memory, the cultural dimension regarding how people conceive the transition to another life, and the religious dimension through the opening to the divine via Jesus Christ.