Day of the Dead Altar

 

    Many of us enjoy arranging still lifes in our homes. Perhaps a new one for each season, or for certain holidays. A still life can include flowers in a vase, framed pictures, a bowl of fruit, or any decorative objects that have meaning to us, or just look good! I like to arrange things that have symbolism and meaning for me. Sometimes I call these arrangements “little altars.” However, I looked up the definition for “altar” and discovered that it is “a raised area in a house of worship where people can honor God with offerings. It is prominent in the Bible as "God's table," a sacred place for sacrifices and gifts offered up to God.” My altars are not offerings to God, but rather sacred places that connect me either to the Divine, to Nature, or to some spiritual aspect of my life, such as familial love. 

This blog gives me the opportunity to create sacred spaces and altars to share with readers. Feel free to attach pictures and ideas of your still lifes for future posts.

Because the most recent holiday was the Day of the Dead, celebrated mainly by Mexicans, my first arrangement is my version of a Day of the Dead altar. Mine is nothing like an authentic Mexican altar which would be much more elaborate. I made this arrangement in honor of my parents, Eugene Lissandrello, who died on September 30th, 2019, and Mary Lissandrello, who departed this world on January 9th, 2021.

My parents were both artists. The watercolor painting was done by my mother and reminds me of the Iowa countryside where she grew up. My father was a painter, too, but he also created many beautiful wood sculptures. He carved the cardinal which also reminds me how he and my mother both loved to feed and watch the birds in their yard.

The seashell is for my father, who loved the ocean and the Great South Bay, near my childhood home. The Baby's Breath are for my mother, who loved flowers and spent many hours creating beautiful gardens.

My mother was religious, and very active in church, She gave me the little book of personal prayer. My father was not religious, but he was spiritual in his own way. He carved wooden reliefs of saints and Mary with baby Jesus. He gave me the book, The Understanding Heart when I was fourteen. My favorite verse in this book was one by Ella Wheeler Wilcox:

So many gods, so many creeds,

    So many paths that wind and wind,

While just the art of being kind

    Is all the sad world needs.

Both of my parents taught me how to love and be loved. My handkerchief adorned with hearts was my mother's. I slid her wedding ring onto the handkerchief for this altar. My parents had been married for 68 and a half years when my father died. Their marriage was a stormy one. This altar reminds me of the love and shared values that helped them to weather those storms.