Wandering Turtle lives it up during Day of the Dead

The spirits of the dead will invade Bloomington’s Wandering Turtle Art Gallery & Gifts.  
The gallery will begin collecting items Thursday to display on a community altar for Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. The display will continue through Nov. 2.

The holiday is also translated as All Souls Day and is a Mexican holiday that is also celebrated in the United States and is traditionally celebrated Nov. 1 and 2.

Dia de los Muertos celebrates those who have died. Celebrants build altars, called ofrendas, where they leave gifts for their deceased relatives including photographs of the deceased as well as their favorite drinks and foods. Traditions say the spirits of deceased relatives come to visit the living.

La Casa Latino Cultural Center Director Lillian Casillas said the community altar won’t be the only altar set up in Bloomington. La Casa plans to set up several more, including one at the center and another at the Leo R. Dowling
International Center.

“I have an altar that stays up all year round,” Casillas said, but added she only sets out offerings during Dia de los Muertos.

Casillas said the alter’s offerings consist of four elements. Fire is represented by candles and helps the spirit find the altar. Wind is represented by the candles’ smoke.

Water is set out in a drinking glass for the spirits as well as in a bowl with a towel for them to wash up after their long journey to the altar. Finally, earth is represented by food that is grown in the ground, such as bean or corn.

“While it has a lot of Catholic traditions, it’s also a mix of indigenous ones,” Casillas said.

The Wandering Turtle’s community altar is becoming a tradition and those who leave offerings on the altar will not be able to retrieve them.

“It’s a very healthy attitude towards celebrating deceased loved ones,” said Wandering Turtle’s Jaime Sweany, who is coordinating the project. “It’s pretty touching really, to see the things people leave behind.”