How to make an ofrenda for Day of the Dead, even from far away
An ofrenda is the altar families set up for Día de Muertos to welcome back loved ones who have died: their photo, candles, marigolds, water, salt, pan de muerto and the things they loved. If part of your family lives far away, you can share it with a digital ofrenda: their photo and a letter in a private link.
By bemypresent · Updated
The example
You can change all of it before you share it. You can start without signing up.
What goes on a Day of the Dead ofrenda and what it means
The ofrenda welcomes the people a family has lost during the days when, by tradition, they come back home. There's no single right way to build one: some families use one level on a side table, others build seven. These are the items you'll see most often and what they usually stand for:
- Their photo: it says who is being welcomed. Many families place it at the center or at the top.
- Candles: they light the way back. Some families light one for each person they remember.
- Marigolds (cempasúchil): their color and scent mark the path. Some families scatter the petals in a trail up to the ofrenda.
- Water and salt: water for the thirst of the journey, salt to purify.
- Pan de muerto and their favorite food: what they really loved, from mole to a cold Coke.
- Copal or incense: it cleanses the space and fills it with its scent.
- Papel picado and sugar skulls: the color and the celebration, which are part of remembering too.
When to set up your ofrenda
Every family has its own custom, but most have the ofrenda ready by the end of October and keep it up through November 2:
- October 27: the day many families set aside for their pets. It's a recent custom, not part of the older tradition, but it has spread quickly.
- October 28: in many homes, for people who died suddenly or in an accident.
- October 30 and 31: depending on the region, for forgotten souls and for children who died very young.
- November 1: for children, and in many places All Saints' Day.
- November 2: for adults, and in many families the day to visit the cemetery.
Dates vary by region. If your family does it differently, that's the right way for you.
How to make an ofrenda at home
- Pick a spot: a table, a dresser or a single shelf. A small apartment works fine.
- Cover it with a cloth, and add papel picado if you have it.
- Put their photo in the center or at the top.
- Light candles and add marigolds, real or paper.
- Set out a glass of water, a little salt and pan de muerto.
- Add what they loved: their food, their drink, their music, something that was theirs.
A digital ofrenda for family who live far away
An ofrenda at home is seen at home. When the family is spread across states or countries, part of it gets lost for whoever can't be there. There are a few ways to bring it to them, and not all of them need a website.
A photo of the ofrenda in the family group chat
The simplest and most common. It gets buried in the chat, but that doesn't make it mean less.
A video call in front of the altar
Whoever is far away is there while the candles are lit. It's the closest thing to being in the room.
Community ofrendas
Some newspapers, libraries and museums open an online altar every October. It's a way to be part of something bigger, but anyone can see what you post.
A digital ofrenda with your letter
A page that's only theirs: their photo, what you want to tell them and more photos if you like, in a private link that opens on any phone. It means the most in the first year.
On bemypresent it's the “In Loving Memory” template. You tell it what they were like and the AI puts it into a letter without adding anything you didn't say. You change every word that doesn't sound like you, add a main photo and up to 8 more, and share the link. Whoever opens it sees a quiet envelope with a lit candle, then their photo with “Remembering” and their name, and the letter. No music, no marigolds or papel picado: it goes alongside the ofrenda at home, not in its place.
An ofrenda for your pet
More and more families remember their dogs and cats too, many on October 27, with their photo, their bowl and the toy they never let go of. A digital ofrenda works the same way: you choose “Pet” as the relationship and the letter is about them.
You can change all of it before you share it. You can start without signing up.
What to write to them this year
You don't need a beautiful sentence: a detail only your family would recognize does more. Three ways to start:
Mom, this year I put your photo next to Grandma's, the way you always did with hers. I made your cinnamon cookies too, even though nobody makes them like you.
Tío Rudy, we left you a Coke and your spicy peanuts, and the Cowboys lost again. You would have yelled at the TV for half an hour.
Lupe, the backyard still smells like your chamomile. We miss you at the table.
What it costs and how long it lasts
Because the AI writes the letter, a digital ofrenda needs the Pro plan ($9.99) or Premium ($19.99), a one-time payment, not a subscription. On either one it never expires, so the link still works for their birthday, the anniversary or next year's Día de Muertos.
Premium adds a question to open it, if you want only people who know the answer to see it, and lets you schedule it to open on a date you choose, like November 2. If you want to send it to several people, each with their own name and link, Pro is enough. You can start yours or begin from the example on this page.
How to make it with bemypresent
Pick how it opens
A birthday, an anniversary, Christmas, a memory album or a box with a surprise inside.
Make it yours
Add the names, your photos and a message. You see it exactly as they will, and it saves as you type.
Publish it
Confirm your email with a code, no passwords. We send you the link and its QR code, and you'll find it in your account on any device.
Share it
By text, on WhatsApp or with the QR code printed inside a card. They open it on their phone, no app needed.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ofrenda?
It's the altar many Mexican and Mexican American families set up for Día de Muertos to remember relatives who have died, with their photo, candles, flowers and the food they loved.
Is Day of the Dead the same as Halloween?
No. They fall on nearby dates, but Día de Muertos is about remembering and welcoming back the people you've lost, with family, food and their photos. It isn't about being scared, and an ofrenda isn't Halloween decor.
Can I make an ofrenda if I'm not Mexican?
Many people outside Mexican families make one to remember someone they've lost. What matters is doing it with respect: learn what the items mean, make it about the person you're remembering and don't treat it as a costume or a theme.
Who can see a digital ofrenda?
Only people who have the link. It doesn't show up in search engines or in any public list. With Premium you can add a question, and it won't open without the answer.
Is it free to make a digital ofrenda?
It needs Pro ($9.99) or Premium ($19.99), because the AI writes the letter. Either one is a single payment per gift, and it doesn't expire.
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