Good evening everyone! I’ll try to keep this brief, but I am a Sephardic Jew with Mexican family. Every year my Mexican family members would celebrate Día de Muertos which, for those who don’t know, is a holiday where we converge together as a family and welcome back the souls of deceased loved ones and celebrate them. I’ve always been a bit wary of actively participating in the holiday because there can be a lot of Christian/pagan overtones in the decoration and in the fact that the holiday often corresponds with Halloween, All Saint’s Day, etc.
I’ve moved far away from my Mexican family though and have been missing my culture terribly. I was thinking about celebrating Día de Muertos in my new home by making an Ofrenda (an altar with photos of deceased loved ones) and decorating it so I could be in touch with my culture and reminisce about my passed loved ones with my partner! Is this terribly inappropriate as a Jew? The intent behind the celebration is not a religious one but rather a memorial and there wouldn’t be any kind of religious decor…if that makes a difference. Flowers, candles, and photos mostly. Obviously I wouldn’t do it if it would be taboo in Judaism, but I thought I’d ask the more theologically well-read minds here about it.
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