Día de los Muertos

Elaborate altars (ofrendas) are a part of the multi-day Día de los Muertos holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and parts of Latin America. The observance draws on the Christian tradition of honoring saints on November 1, All Saints Day. November 2, All Souls Day is set aside to remember anyone who has died. Rather than being a time of sadness, it's a time of celebration and connection. The shrines are a joyous tribute to loved ones, and contain mementos to help souls return home to visit for one day a year.

Some items that can be found in the ofrendas include:

Photos of family members, friends or special people who have passed. Snapshots of happy family gatherings and triumphs, or of the person enjoying a favorite team or vacation.

Flowers of the Dead, (flor de muerto). Marigolds are intended to attract souls to the altar. Used since ancient times for medicinal purposes, marigold's fragrance and bright orange color bring joy and peace.

Perforated Paper, (papel picado). Intricately-cut tissue paper allows souls to travel through and visit. The delicate nature of the paper is symbolic of the fragility of life.

Bread of the Dead, (pan de muerto). The bread is soft, sweet and tasty and sometimes baked into distinct shapes. Also on the altar are foods that the person liked when they were alive. A bottle of water is placed on the altar because the person will be thirsty when they arrive.

Salt to purify souls. Candles to light the way. Levels. Three levels are common, symbolizing heaven, earth and hell. 

Ofrenda at Sacred Heart Church in Denver

Badges, Ribbons and Banners

Your logo here! Today's promotional materials include mugs, pens, T-shirts, key chains, stress balls, rain jackets, umbrellas and drink coasters  Globeville's earlier residents also liked to remember important events, such as the dedication of Holy Rosary Church, with souvenirs.
Slovenes and Croats had saved a long time to build a church of their own and planned a gala celebration for April 18, 1920 with Mass, choirs, speeches by visiting dignitaries, and processions by fraternal groups. Those in attendance may have come away with a commemorative badge
produced by the Colorado Badge and Novelty Company located on 1752 Champa Street in Denver.
The front of the badge features a photo of the newly completed church, while the reverse side provides information about the company itself. Noteworthy is the union label number 30 - probably significant to the Mill and Smeltermen, or Western Federation of Miners - whose badges were also manufactured by the company.

 

Lodge ribbons would also be important souvenirs, with one side being displayed during conventions and the reverse side worn at funerals.

 

Ribbons for St. Joseph's Polish Lodge 

And, of course, there were the banners with embroidered type, images and fringe - proudly displayed at meetings, parades, and conventions. These century-old commemorative mementos were meant to be substantial - I wonder if any logo-bearing T-shirts will survive a hundred years.

  Banner for St Joseph's Lodge, American Fraternal Union

Remembrance

My grandmother saved things: magazines, recipes, newspaper articles, letters, post cards, greeting cards, copies of poems and obituaries. Among those mementos was a box of holy cards, which were  a little smaller than a playing card and depict the image of a saint or religious scene on one side, and a message on the reverse. There were cards given out at funerals with the person's date of birth and death, and those that marked ordinations, first communion and confirmation.
Some, like that for the funeral of John Malenoski, reveal that Malenoski was probably a Carpatho-Russian immigrant, belonged to the Orthodox Church, was familiar with the Cyrillic alphabet and lived a long life.
Teresa Kosick's funeral card reveals her origins in her Slovenian name, that she was Roman Catholic, a parishioner of Holy Rosary Church and also lived a long life.
Some holy cards were used to reward school children, with a hand-written message, such as "from Sister Agnes, in remembrance of her" on the blank side.
Holy cards can provide clues for those piecing together a family history as well as offer a glimpse of a gentler, faith-filled era.

Commemoration of Holy Rosary School

The original photo is 24 inches long and shows Father John Judnic and 152 students posing in front of the Holy Rosary School building in September 1930. Completed in September 1928, the school was the dream of Holy Rosary parishioners, Slovenian and Croatian immigrants who sought to preserve the faith and heritage of their homeland.
Southern Slavs had arrived in Globeville during the 1890s and worked 12-hour days in the smelters, railroads and meat packing plants in hopes of building a better life for their families. Hard working and painfully frugal, they built their parish church in 1919, a handsome brick rectory in 1921 and began to collect funds for a parish school in 1927.
The school opened in September 1928, on the eve of the Great Depression, but was sustained by volunteer labor, bake sales, choir performances, raffles, and the dedication and perseverance of the Slovenian and Croatian community. For 40 years, Holy Rosary School provided a faith-based education to the Catholic children of Globeville.
The construction of two interstate highways through the neighborhood and industrial encroachment forced many residents to move from Globeville, and enrollment at the school dwindled. The school was forced to close in May 1969. 
Photos of each of the 40 graduating classes of the school were discovered in the former rectory in February 2010 and have been assembled, along with the students' names, in a small booklet. The publication is a touching tribute to the faith of these immigrant families and is available from the parish for a donation of $10.
http://holyrosarydenver.com
303-297-1962

                                       1929: Mary Marolt, Ignatius Mearsha, Rev. John J. Judnic, 
                                        Amelia Lesser, Lenore Theisen