Honor Deceased Loved Ones with the 'Day of the Dead' Altar

A Day of the Dead altar is on display in Duke Chapel from October 2 through November 5. An "Ofrenda" in Spanish, the altar invites visitors to honor deceased loved ones by adding photographs and other symbolic objects. 

Visit the Ofrenda during the Chapel’s daily open hours from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Check the Chapel calendar for occasional times when the Chapel is closed to the public. From September 28 through October 16, please enter the Chapel through one of the side doors as the main front doors will be closed due to maintenance work.

Now in its fourth year, the Ofrenda returns to the Chapel in conjunction with our All Saints’ services and in collaboration with Duke Arts and Say the Thing. This year’s Ofrenda features newly commissioned artwork by Ricky Armendariz, a Texas-based artist whose work explores the blend of Mexican, American, and Indigenous cultures along the U.S.-Mexico border. It incorporates a series of original panel designs by Armendariz, engraved at Duke’s Innovation Co-Lab.

In addition to its cultural and artistic significance, the Ofrenda can be part of religious practices, especially in the Roman Catholic church. The objects on an Ofrenda remind Catholics of deceased loved ones, prompting them to pray for the souls of the faithful departed in purgatory and also to contemplate those already in heaven in the presence of God.

Visit the Ofrenda on your own or join us for special events leading up to Día de los Muertos on November 1 and 2. Your participation will help weave a tapestry of memories and stories that transcend time and honor the enduring significance of this cherished tradition.

The Ofrenda is presented this year in partnership with these campus groups: Duke Mexican American Student Alliance, Mi Gente, Duke Catholic Center, and the Hispanic House of Studies at Duke Divinity School. 

Introducing the Ofrenda

Two students who have helped support the presentation of the Ofrenda—juniors Elizabeth Escobar Gomez and Melanie Perez-Romero—introduce the altar in these videos in English and Spanish.

How to Participate

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Visitors to the Ofrenda are invited to contribute by adding photographs and objects that are representative of a departed loved one.* Examples of objects could be paintings, letters, or handmade flowers. While a loved one’s favorite food is traditional to offer during Day of the Dead, we ask that you leave only non-perishable food items, and no liquids at all. We encourage you to substitute perishable foods with photos, drawings, labels, or other creative alternatives.

Become part of the Ofrenda by writing the name of a departed loved one on a strip of paper, then adding it to the paper chain draped across the altar. Each link is a story, a memory, a life woven into a shared tribute. As the chain grows, so does this living memorial—gathering the love, grief, and joy of our community. Materials are provided; simply follow the instructions on site to add your link to this collective remembrance.

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Explore your own story by stepping inside Say the Thing’s Booth, located next to the Ofrenda. Inside The Booth, select prompt #1, and record a special video postcard memorializing a favorite memory of your departed loved one. This private video recording will be sent directly to your inbox, a cherished token in honor of Dia de los Muertos.

*Please note that we are unable to return offerings to the original owner, so please do not leave anything valuable or irreplaceable.

Related Events, Services, and Exhibitions

‘Sacred Are the Waters’ Exhibition
October 2 through November 5
Concurrent with the Ofrenda, Duke Chapel is presenting an exhibition of framed poems, written and curated by Duke medical student Kiran Masroor, which explore the intersection of life and death. Displayed along the walls of the main sanctuary, the thirteen poems in Sacred are the waters are framed individually but are all part of one mythological cosmology. They interweave themes of life and death, building to a climactic section that expresses that tension in ecstatic release. Learn more.

Ofrenda Screen Printing
Monday, October 5, at 6:00 p.m. in the Arts Annex
This two-hour workshop will cover the basics of putting images on screens, ink mixing, and how to effectively use a squeegee to get ink through the screen and print multiple copies of an image. Learn more and register.

Papel Picado
Tuesday, October 6, at 5:30 p.m. at Duke Chapel
This class will address how to construct an ofrenda, and teach the student how to produce paper cempaxochitl (marigolds) and papel picado (cut paper). Learn more and register.

Calaveras Painting
Friday, October 16, at 5:30 p.m. at the Rubenstein Arts Center
This class will guide participants in painting small rocks like a calavera according to designs used by Mexican artisans to paint alebrijes. Learn more and register.

Free Concert: ¡Recuérdalos! Canciones y Celebraciones para el Día de Los Muertos
Thursday, October 22, 5:30 p.m.
This outdoor concert will feature song selections performed by Mariachi Toro de Duke, a student mariachi group; Son de Carolina, performing son jarocho, a folk music and dance style from Veracruz, Mexico; and Duke Chorale. See concert details.

All Hallows' Eve Service
Saturday, October 31, from 10:30 to 11:30 p.m. in Duke Chapel
This service is a festival in the church that recalls the faith and witness of those who have carried on and cherished the Christian faith throughout history. See service details and a link to the livestream. 

All Saints’ Day Service
Sunday, November 1, at 11:00 a.m. in Duke Chapel
In this worship service, the Chapel Choir and Mallarmé Music present the world premiere of From Death, the Rising: A Requiem by Robert Buckley Farlee. The libretto, by the poet Susan Palo Cherwien (1953–2021), blends traditional liturgical texts with scripture and poetry, weaving the voices of the faithful departed together with the collective cry of creation. See service details and a link to the livestream. 

Requiem Eucharist
Sunday, November 1, at 4:00 p.m. in Duke Chapel
In this service, the Chapel’s Evensong Singers perform James Whitbourn’s deeply moving Requiem Canticorum. Scored for chorus, organ, and soprano saxophone, the work is tender and immediate in expression—a compelling meditation on remembrance, consolation, and hope. See service details and a link to the livestream.

All Saints Day Catholic Masses
Sunday, November 1, at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. in Goodson Chapel and at 8:00 in Duke Chapel
The Duke Catholic Center celebrates All Saints’ Day with three Masses. Learn more.

Learn More

Watch a 2024 panel discussion, which delved into the diverse and varying traditions of the Ofrenda.