Day of the Dead Sweets and Treats

Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is a time to remember loved ones. In Mexico, it is also a time for a number of special

sweets and treats. Photo by: Nicole Danielson/Flickr

On November 1 and 2, Mexico has one of its biggest holidays. It's called Día de los Muertos,

which means Day of the Dead. While it may sound a bit serious, it's actually a celebration.

On this day, people both quietly remember the loved ones they've lost and enjoy celebrations

with food and drinks.

By History.com, adapted by Newsela staff on 11.01.17

Word Count 877

Level 870L

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During the celebrations, kids munch on sugary candies shaped like skulls. Not all of the sugar

skulls are meant to be eaten, though. They are used as decorations and covered in bright

colors.

Day of the Dead started with the traditions of the ancient cultures of the Aztecs, Mayans and

Toltecs. These peoples were the major early groups in Mexico. Each year, the Aztecs held a

monthlong celebration of loved ones who had died. It was overseen by the goddess

Mictecacihuatl, or “Lady of the Dead.”

Soon, the Spanish arrived in Mexico and spread the Roman Catholic religious customs there.

The ancient traditions soon were combined with the Christian holidays All Saints’ Day

(November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2). These holidays celebrate similar ideas to Day

of the Dead.

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Families offer food and drinks to the dead

Author Stanley Brandes says that people are still debating how the Day of the Dead traditions

began.

What we do know, however, is that food plays a major role in Day of the Dead celebrations. It

almost certainly always has.

Families build altars, or holy tables, to honor the dead in their homes. Each table has offerings

to the dead that stand for earth, water, fire and wind. The favorite foods of the dead person

represent earth. When a spirit returns, it is believed that they are very thirsty. To fix that, water

is traditionally placed in a clay pitcher or glass. Meanwhile, candles represent fire, and

decorative paper is usually placed on the altar to represent wind.

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A family may choose to celebrate the holiday next to the gravestone of a loved one who has

passed. If so, they may lay out that loved one's favorite foods and drinks. The hope is that the

spirit of the loved one can be convinced to come back for a short reunion.

No event is complete without egg-based pan de muerto, or Day of the Dead bread. The bread

is almost always sweet. It gets baked in dozens of different shapes. Some loaves are round

and decorated with extra pieces of dough that look like skulls and bones.

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Other foods are also linked to the holiday. One is atole, a corn-based alcoholic drink. Another

is chocolate.

Skeletons are symbols of the holiday

As Day of the Dead candy skulls suggest, skeletons are an important symbol that stand for the

holiday. They are also a symbol for Halloween, on October 31.

In ancient times, images of skulls and skeletons appeared regularly on wall paintings and

pottery. They stood for rebirth into the next stage of life.

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In the early 1900s, Mexican political cartoonist Jose Guadalupe Posada made skulls famous

again. He creatively drew pictures of wealthy people as skeletons who wear fancy attire. One

of them was nicknamed Katarina. She wore a feathery hat and long dress. She took on a life of

her own as a symbol of the Day of the Dead. She is still an important symbol of the holiday.

Day of the Dead skeletons are made from many different materials, including wood and

papier-mâché. The skulls can be molded with hardened sugar syrup or chocolate.

Though the skulls and skeletons may look silly and cartoonish, Day of the Dead celebrations

don’t laugh at death or take it lightly. Instead, they show that death is a certainty in of life. And

what better way to celebrate than with the sweet comforts found in delicious, traditional foods?

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Quiz

1 According to the section "Skeletons are symbols of the holiday," how did Katarina become a

symbol of the Day of the Dead?

(A) She was sold as a Day of the Dead skeleton toy that became very popular.

(B) She was a famous person who started the tradition of Day of the Dead.

(C) Jose Guadalupe Posada featured her in politcal cartoons about the Day of the

Dead.

(D) Jose Guadualupe Posada made drawings of her as a skeleton with fancy

clothes.

2 What is the relationship between the Day of the Dead and a person's favorite food?

(A) People who are celebrating the Day of the Dead eat only their favorite foods.

(B) The dead person's favorite foods are set out for them on Day of the Dead altars.

(C) Setting out a person's favorite foods was started on Day of the Dead by the

Spanish.

(D) People's favorite foods are celebrated on Day of the Dead to honor an Aztec

goddess.

3 Examine the five photographs in the article.

Together, what do the photographs show about Day of the Dead celebrations?

(A) that the Day of the Dead is celebrated by nearly all people in Mexico

(B) that the Day of the Dead is a serious religious holiday

(C) that the Day of the Dead is the most important traditional holiday in Mexico

(D) that the Day of the Dead is a festive celebration

4 Look at the two photographs in the section "Skeletons are symbols of the holiday."

According to the article, what is represented in the two photographs?

(A) an altar in honor of a person who has died and sugar skulls used only for

decoration

(B) a Katarina decoration and candy sugar skull treats

(C) a skeleton figure made from the sugar skulls shown beneath it

(D) the first drawing of Katarina and the sugar skulls that inspired it

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