Music, dance performances and delicious dishes are all highlights of Cheekwood Garden’s annual Dia de los Muertos celebration. But the altars, or ofrenda — laden with food, flowers and photos of ancestors — are the real heart of the holiday, according to Arcelia Vazquez, who grew up in Mexico City and has helped run this event for nearly 20 years. She explained that these altars bring together the living and the dead.

“The altar is a direct connection,” she explained, “Even if I didn’t meet some of my ancestors, when it is that time, other people start talking about them and you ask questions like ‘What is the food they like?’ And even if you didn’t see any picture of them, you start making an idea how this person was.”

Vazquez explained that each element of the altar carries a specific

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