Every culture has their own unique way of honoring the passage of death.
For those who celebrate Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, this occasion is not one of sorrow or mourning. This festival, spanning from November 1 to November 2, is one that joyfully and colorfully celebrates the lives of loved ones who have passed away.
Although this holiday first originated in Mexico, today it takes place all over Latin America, and in areas with bustling Mexican communities, such as Los Angeles, California.
During this sacred time, families gather together to play games, reminisce, and dance to music.
Most importantly, they build colorful altars called ofrendas (which means “offerings” in Spanish) as both a tribute to deceased family members and as a way to welcome their loved ones’ souls back to the land of the living.
Ofrendas are decorated with symbolic items, such as marigold flowers, incense, candles, fruits, chocolate or sugar skulls, as well as photographs and mementoes that the person loved during their lifetime.
Food and drink carry extra-special meaning during the Day of the Dead. Not only do they deliciously sustain folks during the two-day celebrations, they are believed to be a powerful bridge between life and death for the loved ones’ spirits.
Today, we explore the cultural significance behind eight unique Day of the Dead festival foods and drinks!
- Pan de Muerto
- Candied Pumpkin
- Sugar Skulls (Calaveras)
- Marigold-Infused Tequila
- Tamales
- Atole and Champurrado Drinks
- Alegrías Candy
- Caramel Flan
1. Pan De Muerto
The one essential item you’ll see at every Day of the Dead celebration is the Pan De Muerto (also known as Bread of the Dead). This simple, spongey, sweet bread has a texture similar to that of challah or brioche.
Usually, Pan de Muerto has skulls or crossbones added on top in extra dough. The bones symbolize the deceased one, and often are arranged in a circle to represent the circle of life.
The bread is topped with sugar, sometimes white, sometimes dyed pink. The recipe can be enhanced with anise seeds, orange zest or even orange flower water.
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2. Candied Pumpkin
Calabaza en Tacha is a candied treat that dates all the way back to pre-Hispanic days, when the Aztecs cooked the squash during celebrations for their own Great Feast of the Dead.
In Mexico, this sweet, delectable dish can be enjoyed as a comforting dessert, snack or even during breakfast time with milk.
According to the recipe, the Calabaza de Castilla, a traditional winter squash, is simmered in a syrup sweetened with piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar pressed into a cone shape), until it becomes soft and tender.
Cinnamon sticks are added for a richer flavor. Other spices or fruits can be added as well — whole cloves, anise star, sugar cane, guavas, and oranges.
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3. Sugar Skulls
Calaveras are colorful, intricately decorated sugar skulls of all sizes that are immediately recognizable around the world as a symbol of Day of the Dead celebrations.
Back during Mesoamerican times, calaveras were made as offerings to the god of the underworld, Mictlantecuhtli, in exchange for safe passage.
Traditionally, these sugar skulls are made from a moldable paste called alfeñique, primarily made of sugar, hot water and lemon, with a texture similar to caramel. Today, a great variety of ingredients are used — chocolate, almonds, honey with peanuts, amaranth, even gummies.
The colored paints for the sugar skulls are also meaningful.
Orange represents the sun; yellow represents the Mexican marigold (a symbol of death); red represents our blood; purple represents pain; pink and white symbolize hope, purity and celebration; and lastly, black stands for the Land of the Dead.
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4. Marigold-Infused Tequila
Flowers, which symbolize the beauty and yet quickness of life, are a key element of the Day of the Dead ofrenda.
But one particular bloom stands out as a national symbol for the festival — the cheery orange and yellow marigold, also called cempasúchil (the flower of 400 lives) or flor de muerto (flowers of the dead).
The fragrance of the bright marigold is said to guide souls from their burial place to their family homes during the festival. Both paper and fresh marigolds are sprinkled on the ofrenda for this purpose.
The golden flower is often dried and used to infuse tequila, creating a warm, rich drink that is sometimes additionally flavored with cinnamon — perfect for raising a toast to loved ones who have passed.
The infusion itself can take anywhere from 4-7 days.
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5. Tamales
Tamales are a classic and well-known Mexican dish that are essential to tiding oneself through the long celebration nights of Day of the Dead.
It is also one of the oldest dishes in the culture, originating in Mesoamerica as early as 8000 BC.
Tamales come in a wide variety of flavors and shapes, with different fillings that are wrapped inside of a corn husk or banana leaves, then steamed. Depending on the region, tamales fillings can range from meats, cheeses, fruits to vegetables.
In general, tamales are a favorite comfort food in Mexico that can be eaten for any meal. They are often paired with hot atole, champurrado or rice porridge.
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6. Atole and Champurrado Drinks
Atole is a traditional non-alcoholic, corn-based drink that has been enjoyed by the people of Mexico for centuries, maybe even millennia. In fact, the word “atole” itself comes from Nahuatl, the still-living language of the Aztecs.
Recipe-wise, atole is made from a blended mix of masa harina flour, water, unrefined cane sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. The classic drink, served warm, can differ in texture, ranging from a porridge to a thin liquid.
Atole is often paired with tamales, and is popular during breakfast and dinnertime throughout the course of the year.
When chocolate is added to the drink, it becomes thick, creamy champurrado (Mexican hot chocolate). In either rendition, as classic atole or champurrado, it’s an especially satisfying and fragrant refreshment during the cooler months when Day of the Dead takes place.
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7. Alegrías Candy
Alegría (which means “joy” in Spanish) is a crispy traditional Mexican candy made from puffed amaranth seeds, dried fruits, nuts and honey.
In some ways, the sweet treat is similar to that of an energy bar. In fact, back in ancient Mesomerica, the indigenous grain amaranth was called huautli, meaning “the smallest giver of life.”
Alegrías are eaten throughout the year, particularly around Mexico City, but for Day of the Dead, they’re typically molded into skull shapes — just like the sugar skulls.
Whereas the sugar skulls are sometimes display-only because of inedible decorative elements, alegrías can be both placed on the ofrenda, and eaten as delicious treats.
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8. Caramel Flan
To end on an extra-sweet note, the last festival food we’ll spotlight is a very well-loved dessert — caramel flan.
Made with eggs, milk and cream, this rich, creamy custard has enjoyed popularity throughout Latin and Central America for over 500 years. It didn’t originate in Mexico however. The recipe hearkens back to Ancient Rome, and only found its footing in Mexico through the Spaniards.
Today, this dessert is popular all over the world, with numerous country- and region-based variations.
The soft, circle-shaped flan isn’t necessarily easy to make. It needs to be carefully cooked in a water bath, and then chilled for several hours in order to set. Once ready though, the custard is drenched in melted caramel, giving it a warm, delicious glow.
During Day of the Dead festivities, one can find plenty of local street vendors walking the streets leading to the cemeteries and selling trays of this popular dessert.
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As with so many important cultural festivals and ceremonies around the world, food and drink play a huge part in signifying the occasion.
For the Day of the Dead especially, food is a precious offering, one meaningful enough even to invite the souls of loved ones back, temporarily, to the land of the living.
Although the Day of the Dead is, on the surface, a holiday centering around the passage of death, it is, at its heart, a brilliantly vibrant celebration of life — through the power of remembrance, connection, and yes, food.
