An ofrenda is a home altar created during the annual and traditionally Mexican Día de los Muertos celebration to commemorate the souls of loved ones who have passed away. The ofrenda is usually created by the family members of the deceased and may be quite large and elaborate. The altar typically contains three levels or tiers. The topmost tier identifies the dead person who is being invited to the altar, frequently with photos of the deceased, along with images of various saints, statuettes of the Virgin Mary, crucifixes, etc. which are positioned in a retablo which forms the back of the altar. On the second tier are things placed to encourage the dead to feel at home and welcome, such as food, drinks, and personal belongings of the deceased. The third tier is set up so that the returning dead can refresh themselves upon arrival at the altar, with water, candles, and cleansing copal incense that is said to ward away evil spirits. The altar may also feature decorations that are representative of the four elements, such as candles to symbolize fire, papel picado to represent air, food to represent earth, and glasses of water to represent water. The ofrenda is not meant to be morbid but rather a celebration of life.