“This encounter between the living and the dead,” UNESCO explains, “affirms the role of the individual within society and contributes to reinforcing the political and social status of Mexico’s Indigenous communities.” In 2008, the holiday was even added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, ensuring its enchanting legacy for years to come and drawing attention to its native roots. In addition to making alters and attending city-wide festivals, people today often celebrate Día de los Muertos by making themselves up to look like Calaveras, a look that has also inspired countless Halloween costumes.
The Day of the Dead remains prevalent in contemporary culture-both in Mexico and beyond. Statuettes of saints and other religious figures are popular, as are p apier– mâché and clay figurines of skeletons. To add a personal touch to the altar, participants may add objects owned or previously enjoyed by the dead, including clothing, cigarettes, and toys. To help the spirits relax and enjoy the festivities, people will often offer alcoholic beverages like Tequila, Mezcal, and Pulque, a drink made out of fermented agave sap.ĭay of the Dead in Michoacan, Mexico (Photo: Stock Photos from DAVID PANIAGUA GUERRA/Shutterstock) Like other offerings of food, it is believed that the visiting spirits absorb and enjoy the essence of the Pan de Muerto, though it is the living who physically consume it. It is adorned with bone-like decorations, and is typically flavored with anise seeds and orange zest.
This “bread of the dead” is a type of sweet roll. Additionally, most ofrendas will also include pan de muerto and spirited drinks.
Some calaveras feature inedible adornments, like beads, sequins, and feathers, while others are made to be eaten.Ī Day of the Dead altar is typically covered in edible offerings enjoyed by the deceased person in their previous life. These small skulls are exquisitely decorated with motifs like flowers and spiderwebs and often feature names of the dead written in foil or icing on their foreheads. Ofrendas also often feature freshly cut Flor de Muerto, bright orange and yellow marigolds intended to cheer up the dead with their brilliant colors and sweet scent.Ĭolorful skulls made of molded sugar paste (known as calaveras) are another staple of Day of the Dead decor. Made out of Technicolor tissue paper, papel picado (or “chiseled paper “) is a flag-like folk art evolved from a Pre-Columbian version made out of tree bark, which was used by the Aztecs to compile codices and adorn religious sites. To achieve this, they often dazzle with bright colors and incorporate playful skull motifs. Defying death, they make fun of her by eating it.Photo: Stock Photos from Fer Gregory/Shutterstockĭecorations are intended to honor those who have passed in a jubilant way. The phenomena is treated with respect and irony. José Luis Curiel Monteagudo, in his book Azucarados Afanes, Dulces y Panes, says, “To eat pan de muertos is for the Mexican a true pleasure, considering the cannibalism of bread and sugar. This is the origin of today’s pan de muertos, which has regional variants across Mexico. They forced the substitution of bread for the heart, shaped in the form of a corazón and painted in a glaze of red sugar. The Spanish, of course, aimed to put a stop to this non-Christian behavior when they arrived to conquer Mexico at the beginning of the 16th century. Pan de muertos is one of the most important elements of an ofrenda, with a long history extending to prehispanic times.Īztecs, during their sacrifice rituals, would cut the still-beating heart from the chests of the sacrificed. It’s eaten by the living, as well as left as an offering on the altar for the returning dead. This type of sweet bread is only sold in the weeks leading up to the Día de Muertos.
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