When it comes to who buys her altars more, Vigil said there is a 50/50 ratio of tourists to locals.

Last year, it was her larger altars, and this year it’s her smaller ones. The altars require three layers of paint, and the miniature food and flowers must be glued on. “If I started to do it from scratch, it would probably take two to three hours, just to assemble and paint,” she says. Vigil begins to paint and assemble in July. On a regular work day, she can make eight altars. Some people like pan dulce (sweet bread), since I do the miniature foods, but I try to make a variety and do color combinations and just try to make them different but similar,” Vigil says. “They do take a while to make, just because I am very picky about the details. For Vigil, every altar brings new inspiration. When Vigil first started making her Día de los Muertos altars, she made 30 a month before the season began. Vigil re-creates a smaller version of the traditional altars, ready for people to celebrate. Clients just have to place the photos at the top or add a few more elements to them. “I had seen a couple similar, but not the same in Mexico. Most of the time, people build their own, a practice that can take a day or more. It is unusual to see or be able to purchase altars that are premade like Vigil’s. Vigil wanted to do something similar but different. “We would go for a day, and we’d clean out the cemetery where my grandparents are buried and sweep it off, put fresh flowers,” she says. Vigil was inspired by the Michoacán altars she used to see when she visited Mexico with her parents. But many devout Mexican Catholics who are usually against these practices observe this day because the essence of it is to honor and celebrate-hence the lively colors, the papel picado (“punched” paper banners made out of paper or plastic panels that are cut with intricate designs), and the flowers. For some, including the religiously devout, wanting to bring back the dead for a day or two might sound appalling and against some religious norms. This holiday in particular connects those two sides. There are those who believe healing can come from plants, the gods, et cetera. Even though Mexican culture has a Catholic majority, the syncretic spiritualities among its people is extensive. The practice of altars and ofrendas is a deep part of Mexican spirituality. The altars are usually made by hand and seen in cemeteries, churches, schools, and private homes. It is a tradition based on nostalgia and a love and connection with them.

These altars are extremely important to Mexican culture because the idea is that, for those two days, people who have been lost come back down to Earth to be around their loved ones. It is celebrated on November 1 (All Saints’ Day, which celebrates children who have died) and November 2 (All Souls’ Day, which celebrates adults). The tradition is rooted in Aztec beliefs about honoring the dead later on, the practice became intertwined with Catholic traditions. Marigold flowers known as cempasúchil are used as decoration, and it is believed they guide loved ones to the altar. A picture of the deceased is placed in one tier, and food and decorations are placed in the other levels. Usually, altars-or ofrendas-are made with boxes or tables to create three tiers. On her Instagram, a little over 50,000 people follow her. The store features all kinds of Mexican cultural products, but the most coveted items are the Día de los Muertos altars and ofrendas Vigil makes by hand-pieces so special, they have put her business on the map and given her success for years. However, a few steps further from the Healdsburg Plaza is Alma’s Oilcloth and Chucherias, owned by Alma Vigil, who has been making small altars for 10 years. When you Google the city of Healdsburg, California, the most significant results are links to the town’s tasting rooms and coveted restaurants.

Dia de los muertos altar items