“There are parades, people get in costume and dress like La Catrina, which is this beautiful Mexican sugar skull come to life,” she said. “It’s become a big celebration.”
Of course, Marquez-Sharpnack’s traditions for Día de los Muertos include food, like Mexican hot chocolate, which she starts by simmering large cinnamon sticks on the stove for an hour, filling up her house with the scents of her childhood. She also decorates an ofrenda, or altar, at home with photos of her father, her grandma, her great-aunts and other family members.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR NewsIt all reflects her impeccable eye for style: she worked as a designer before becoming a food entrepreneur, which is clear on her Instagram page @muybuenocooking.
Marquez-Sharpnack spoke with Colorado Matters host Chandra Thomas Whitfield about Día de los Muertos, how she learned homestyle Mexican cooking and her secrets to good salsa.
Read the interview
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Chandra Thomas Whitfield: Could you tell me more about your ofrenda?
Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack: It basically honors your departed loved ones. It’s a time to set up their photographs, set out their belongings, maybe some candles. Marigolds are very traditional for Dia de los Muertos because they have a very strong aroma. It’s supposed to lure their spirit to come and visit for a day. So there’s a lot of significance and symbolism for the elements on an altar.
What do you remember about celebrating Día de los Muertos growing up?
My grandma would take me to the cemetery and we’d leave flowers for her two children who passed away when they were little. It was more of All Souls Day, or All Saints Day, or Día de los Angelitos, which is a celebration to honor children.
And as it’s evolved, it’s even become bigger in Mexico. It’s evolved not just in my family, but throughout the world. It’s definitely grown in popularity.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR NewsSome people have the misconception that it’s a sad holiday, or they may conflate it with Halloween. But it’s celebratory!
Yes, and that’s what we try to show with all the colors. The saying I always think of is, “Your departed are only forgotten if you forget them.” I was thinking the other day about our own legacies. Maybe our children and our children’s children will talk about us, and if we’re lucky, a third generation will, too. But after that, who knows what’s going to be left behind. My goal is to continue the stories so that even if my children didn’t know my grandma like I did, they’ll still know all those stories and continue sharing them generation after generation.
Is there a traditional Day of the Dead meal?
There are all kinds of traditional dishes, like mole or tamales. Honestly, it’s all about who you’re honoring and what they loved to eat. When I was growing up, my mom would make us Mexican hot chocolate in the cooler months. Both of my grandmas would always just brew canela, so their houses always smelled like cinnamon. And you can just drink cinnamon tea! There are so many medicinal properties, and it’s very aromatic.