I love the photos of the two grandmothers, the two abuelas, surrounded by peanuts, a bowl of mangos and flowers. Both the roses and the fruits appear artificial or waxed.
In the ancient Mayan/Mexican tradition, favorite foods and flowers are left for the dead on their graves in the cemetery. In Los Angeles today, foods are left on the altars memorializing the dead.
Here is some of what I saw on altars in Grand Park for Dia de los Muertos, 2018.
On the Yemeni altar were foods from the Middle East, including flat pita bread, baklava, hummus and yogurt.Chilis for the dead. I think those white objects are tea candles.Bread and tamale wrappers in front of this altar. Tamales are more closely associated with Christmas Eve in Los Angeles.Corn husks and peanuts were on many more altars than I can remember from previous years. The salt on this altar is considered to be a purifying agent.From a community garden in South Central Los Angeles comes this altar with a “carpet” of black beans in front of it. The two figures made of white beans represent the snake deity Quetzalcoatl who bridges between the dead and the living. The pumpkins are definitely Halloween!Bottled water, corn, the ubiquitous peanuts and sugar skulls appear on this altar. Persimmons and pears, too.
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