Hola! Is Tia Lencha here! I haf big news! I move to Los Angeles in the California! And I find a novio! Can ju believe?
Is a new life here. My novio and I met on the Google when I live in New Jork. Then he visit from Los Angeles and I visit from New Jork and now I live in Los Angeles. He make me micheladas and likes walking romatical to the taco trucks. Tia Lencha has little hearts in her eyes.
Okay, but I can’t leave my pochos without some advice. One pocho ask me, how ju build an altar for Día de los Muertos? I tell ju how!
I make an altar for my old life with mijo’s daddy in New Jork as a sample, okey?
We make Mijo’s Daddy Day of the Dead altar:
- Ju put Candles: To welcome the spirits back to their altars. Or to welcome Tia Lencha to go back to visit New Jork. Jus kidding.
- Ju put Cempasúchitl (thas marigolds for ju pochos): They symbolize death. They smell estrong so Tia Lencha finds her way to the altar (of marriage.) Hee hee.
- Ju put Incense: If ju can find, copal incense, is the most popular. Is from Mexico. So is my novio.
- Ju put Salt: It represent the continuance of life (without mijo’s daddy.)
- Ju put a Photo of the Deceased: Ju put the pishure in a frame, in the top of the altar. In this case, it is a pishure of Tia Lencha and Mijo’s daddy in New Jork. Because he is dead to Tia Lencha.
- Ju put Pan de Muerto (bread of the dead for ju pochos): Is a symbol of the departed. In this case, the pan the muerto would haf little pieces of mijo’s daddy inside.
- Ju put Sugar Eskulls: They are symbols of death and the afterlife, or the eskeleton gwoman mijo’s daddy marry and divorce when she put him the horns. Ju put the skulls on the altar as an offering. Mijo’s daddy will like that.
- Ju put Fresh Fruit: Whatever is in season oranges, bananas, etc. but be careful if ju live in New Jork. The not-so-fresh fruit can cost ju mucho dinero (thas money for ju pochos.)
- Ju put Other Foods: Is traditional Day of the Dead foods like mole, tamales, and tortillas. Ju can oso put the dead person’s favorite foods. Mijo’s daddy like fry baloney and egg sangwich. Tia Lencha tell him that is no food, but he do whatever he want. The muertos don’t really eat the food on the altar, thank God.
- Ju put Water: The souls are thirsty after their long trip from the Other Side, so they appreciate a glass of water when they get to jur house. Or a can of beer.
- Ju put Toiletries: The espirits like to freshen up after they reach the altar, so a hairbrush, a mirror, some soap and a towel are good. For Mijo’s daddy, I add deodorant for the arm pits. Extra estrength.
- Ju put Other Drinks: The favorite drinks of the muerto is also put on the altar, like tequila, whisky, soda, or Sunny Delight. And a margarita for Tia Lencha.
- Ju put Items that Once Belonged to the Deceased: Things the dead person enjoyed in life are put on the altar. Mijo’s daddy’s underwears with kisses on them, his cologne that smell like gasoline, his Metro Card becose he don’t have a car, and his Viagra (that he use for the eskeleton gwoman he marry.)
- Ju put Pishures of Saints: Or ju can put pishures of other role models who were important to the muerto. Like mijo’s daddy like a pishure of Oscar de la Hoya dress like a ballerina.
- Ju put Papel Picado: This is jus good estyle. Papel picado is the paper cut up to make shapes that ju put on a string to hang. Is good for weddings, birthdays and any day we celebrate. Like the day I celebrate when the eskeleton gwoman leave mijo’s daddy. I put papel picado around my house and pass out kendys to the kids in the barrio.
- Ju put Ceramics and Woven Baskets: This is traditional in Mexico. I like to put the battery power Anaheim chile mijo’s daddy give me. I still don’t know what is used for.
Okey, I pretty tire from making this altar.
I going to eat some of the tamales I was going to put for the altar and drink one of the beers.
Mijo’s daddy is in New Jork.
