From our studio in San Miguel
Saints, Catrinas & Mexican traditions
Stories, prayers and how-to guides from our retablo studio in the heart of San Miguel de Allende.
How to Make an Ofrenda: What to Put on a Day of the Dead Altar and What It Means
A step-by-step guide to building a Day of the Dead ofrenda at home, with the meaning behind every flower, candle and offering.
Read the guide →Day of the Dead
Ofrendas, Catrinas, marigolds and the meaning behind Mexico’s most beloved tradition.
How to Make an Ofrenda: What to Put on a Day of the Dead Altar and What It Means
A step-by-step guide to building a Day of the Dead ofrenda at home, with the meaning behind every flower, candle and offering.
5 min read
What Is Día de los Muertos? Meaning, Dates and Traditions of the Day of the Dead
Día de los Muertos is a celebration of love and memory, not a festival of fear. Here is what it honors, when it happens and where it comes from.
4 min read
La Catrina: The History and Meaning of Mexico's Elegant Skeleton
She began as a satirical print and became the face of the Day of the Dead. Here is the story of La Catrina and what she means today.
4 min read
Day of the Dead in San Miguel de Allende: What to Expect and How to Visit
Altars in the Jardín, marigolds at the cemetery and Catrinas in the streets: a respectful visitor's guide to Día de Muertos in San Miguel.
4 min read
Why Are Marigolds Used for the Day of the Dead? The Meaning of Cempasúchil
Their color and scent are said to guide the souls home. Here is why the cempasúchil marigold is the flower of the Day of the Dead.
4 min read
Sugar Skulls: The Meaning and History of Calaveritas de Azúcar
Bright, sweet and often carrying a name, sugar skulls are a playful way of remembering the dead. Here is their meaning and history.
4 min read
Papel Picado: Meaning, History, Colors and How to Make Your Own
The cut-paper banners that flutter over every Mexican fiesta and ofrenda: where they come from, what the colors suggest, and how to make one.
4 min readSaints & prayers
The stories and traditional prayers of the saints Mexicans turn to every day.
Prayer to St. Jude Thaddeus for Difficult and Hopeless Cases
The traditional prayer to St. Jude, how to pray his nine-day novena, and the story behind Mexico's great devotion to the patron of difficult causes.
5 min read
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel: Text, Meaning and San Miguel’s Patron
The full Leonine prayer to St. Michael, where it came from, and how San Miguel de Allende honors its patron each September with the Alborada.
4 min read
The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Juan Diego, the Tilma and December 12
How a humble Indigenous man, a hill called Tepeyac and a cloak full of roses gave Mexico and the Americas their most beloved image of Mary.
5 min read
St. Francis of Assisi Prayer for Animals and the Blessing of the Animals
The story of St. Francis, the real words of his Canticle of the Creatures, and how to bless your pets on his feast day, October 4.
5 min read
St. Teresa of Ávila: Her Life, Her Words and the Prayer “Nada te turbe”
The Spanish mystic who reformed the Carmelites, wrote some of the great books of the spiritual life and left us nine lines that still calm the heart.
4 min read
Patron Saint of Cooks and Kitchens: San Pascual Bailón and More
Why Mexican cooks ask San Pascual Bailón to “dance in the kitchen,” and the other saints who watch over stoves, ovens and the people who feed us.
4 min read
Patron Saints for Every Need: A Practical Guide
Hope, protection, family, pets, exams, a long drive or lost keys: a quick, practical guide to which saint to ask, and when to celebrate them.
4 min readFolk art & home
Retablos, milagros and how to bring Mexican devotional art into your home.
What Is a Retablo? The History of Mexican Devotional Retablos
From gilded Spanish altarpieces to small tin saints on Mexican kitchen walls, here is the story of the retablo and how to keep one at home.
5 min read
What Are Milagros? The Meaning of Mexican Milagro Charms
Tiny tin hearts, legs and eyes pinned to a saint’s statue: a guide to Mexican milagro charms, what each shape means and how to use one.
4 min read
How to Make a Home Altar You Can Keep All Year
A shelf, a saint, a candle and a few flowers: how to create a simple, respectful home altar that stays with you all year.
4 min readSan Miguel de Allende
Guides to the colonial town where every one of our retablos is made.
Day of the Dead in San Miguel de Allende: What to Expect and How to Visit
Altars in the Jardín, marigolds at the cemetery and Catrinas in the streets: a respectful visitor's guide to Día de Muertos in San Miguel.
4 min read
The Best Things to Do in San Miguel de Allende: A Local Studio's Guide
From the pink Parroquia to hot springs and the sanctuary of Atotonilco, here is how to spend your days in Mexico's most celebrated colonial town.
5 min readGifts
Meaningful gifts for celebrations, comfort and remembrance.
Meaningful Catholic Gifts from Mexico for Every Sacrament and Milestone
Retablos, milagros, rosaries and veladoras: Mexican Catholic gifts that carry real meaning, and how to choose the right patron saint for someone you love.
4 min read
Thoughtful Sympathy and Remembrance Gifts to Honor a Loved One
What to say, what to give, and how Mexican traditions of remembrance can help a grieving friend keep their loved one close.
4 min read