Community Altar + Ofrenda

This event is in honor and remembrance of lost loved ones and ancestors, offering an opportunity for grieving, processing, mediating, celebrating, and support. Food and refreshments will be provided. The community altar and ofrenda event is free of charge and all ages are welcome.

The remembrance will begin with semi-private and shared space for personal meditation, in addition to a separate area for art making.

From 6 until 8 pm, there will be live music and spoken word poetry, accompanied by art making and traditional Mexican food, including homemade tamales and aguas frescas. Doula Raquel Washington, MA will also be offering herbal grief tea.

The community is invited to bring copies of photos of their loved ones, along with recycled bottles and/or any object to create a momento to leave in honor and celebration on the altar, or ofrenda (offering), in Spanish. This expression of love intertwines many indigenous traditions, including Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrated in México.

During Día de Muertos, the tradition is to build private altars (ofrendas) containing the favorite foods and beverages, as well as photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so the souls will hear the prayers and the words of the living directed to them. These altars are often placed at home or in public spaces such as schools and libraries, but it is also common for people to go to cemeteries to place these altars next to the tombs of the departed.

This event precedes the BEE Collective’s inaugural Just-Us INDABA: Birthing, Education, and Healing Justice Summit on Saturday, November 2, 2024 at the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1422 building located at 1142 Morrison Drive, Downtown Charleston.