Animitas

Animitas are a phenomenon of aesthetic and religious character. As an aesthetic phenomenon, they have been placed within the currents that distinguish popular art; as a religious phenomenon, they are conceived as part of popular religiosity. They have certain formal characteristics and devotional keys that are transmitted from generation to generation. Animitas are small shrines that are built on the roadside or in other public places to commemorate the dead, especially those who died in tragic or unexpected circumstances. The name comes from the Spanish word for "little souls" and reflects the belief that the deceased can intercede for the living if they are honored and venerated. Animitas are part of the popular religiosity of Chile and other Latin American countries, and they often display objects, images, candles, flowers and messages related to the person who died. Animitas are erected as a memory of those who were early taken from life, constituting a testimony of faith in a life that transcends death.