Quick Answer
Yes, sugar skulls are a traditional food eaten during the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. The sugar skulls represent the souls of deceased loved ones and are placed on altars along with other offerings for the spirits. Eating the sugar skulls is a way to symbolically share the bread of the dead.
What is the Day of the Dead?
The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos in Spanish, is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1st and 2nd each year. It has its origins in Aztec festivals honoring the dead and also absorbs some customs from Catholicism. The Day of the Dead is a time when it is believed the souls of deceased loved ones return to visit the living.
Day of the Dead celebrations include building altars or ofrendas to welcome spirits back, visiting gravesites, and leaving offerings of the dead person’s favorite foods and objects. There are vibrant parades, parties, music, and other festivities to honor the returning souls.
The holiday is celebrated across Mexico but is especially prominent in certain regions like Michoacán and Oaxaca. It was recognized on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.
What are sugar skulls?
Sugar skulls, or calaveras de azúcar in Spanish, are decorative skull-shaped candies made from granulated white sugar. They are one of the most iconic symbols and traditional crafts associated with the Day of the Dead.
Sugar skull making originates from the 16th century when the European sugar techniques arrived in the new world. Skulls and skeletons were already an important theme in indigenous rituals and artistic traditions honoring the dead. The candy skulls allowed for a new craft to emerge and became an edible way to depict the central image of death.
Today, sugar skulls are made using special skull molds and pressed powdered sugar. They are elaborately decorated with colorful icing, foil, feathers, beads, and sequins. Simple, small sugar skulls are placed on family altars to represent deceased loved ones. Large, decorated skulls can be created for gifts or competition entries.
Why do people eat sugar skulls for Day of the Dead?
Sugar skulls hold deep symbolism related to remembering and honoring the dead in Mexican culture. Eating them plays a significant role in Day of the Dead traditions. Here are some of the reasons why consuming sugar skulls is customary:
To represent the souls
Each sugar skull placed on an altar represents the spirit of a specific deceased individual. The name of the person is often written on the forehead. Eating the sugar skull is a way of taking in the essence of that person and sharing food or bread with their soul.
To honor the cycle of life
Skulls and skeletons depict the finite nature of human life which ends in death for all. Eating and offering sugar skulls recognizes death as part of the human experience. It brings a sweetness or joyfulness to embracing mortality.
To partake in offerings
Food and drink are left on altars for the returning souls to enjoy and nourish themselves after their journey back. The living family and friends consume some of the offerings, like the sugar skulls, to complete the symbolic feeding of the spirits.
For the sweet taste
In Mexican culture, sugar skulls get their sweetness not only from the sugar but the sentiment behind them. The candy is shared to honor deceased loved ones and keep their memories alive. Eating them connects the sweetness to loved ones and celebrating their lives.
What do sugar skulls taste like?
The sugar skulls themselves are made entirely from granulated sugar so they have a crisp, granular texture that quickly dissolves in the mouth. Their sweetness comes purely from the sugar.
Some sugar skulls are flavored or scented with cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, or fruit essences. These additions provide a subtle, pleasant flavor.
The skulls are also beautifully decorated with thick, bright icing in colors like pink, yellow, blue, and purple. The icing has a smooth, creamy sugary taste. Decorations like beads or glitter are not meant to be eaten.
Overall, a classic sugar skull mainly offers the experience of the white sugar melting quickly on the tongue. The flavor is pure, sweet, and simple. Any additions complement the main sugar flavor rather than overpower it.
Do people eat a lot of sugar skulls?
Sugar skulls are a delicate craft food made specifically for the Day of the Dead. Most people do not consume very many out of reverence and care for the work that went into decorating them. A few bites or licks of a sugar skull are usually enough to get the symbolic essence.
They are carefully crafted as offerings and eating more than necessary would be seen as disrespectful. Too much handling or eating can also damage or destroy the sugar artwork.
Vendors make batches of sugar skulls to sell for the holiday, but individuals are unlikely buy more than a few to take home. At community altars and cemeteries, people take only 1-2 skulls to have a taste and leave the rest untouched.
That said, artisan sugar skulls can be purchased in bulk for parties, events, or as seasonal gifts. In these cases, the skulls may not be as delicately decorated and are suitable for eating. It is also common for families to make extra undecorated skulls for children to enjoy.
Do people make and eat other Day of the Dead foods?
While sugar skulls are one of the most iconic, Day of the Dead celebrations also involve preparing and consuming many other traditional foods and drinks. Here are some examples of customary edible offerings:
Pan de muerto
This sweet bread is baked in the shape of skulls, bones, or gravesites. They are offered to the deceased’s spirit. The living also eat the bread to honor the life cycle.
Calabaza en tacha
Pumpkins cooked in a piloncillo sugar syrup until tender. The carved, dried pumpkin is a symbol of the deceased returning.
Chocolate caliente
Hot chocolate is widely enjoyed during Day of the Dead season. Sometimes coffee is offered instead for older spirits.
Fruits and produce
Fresh, seasonal harvest foods like oranges, sugarcane, bananas, squash, and corn often decorate altars.
Mole
A turkey or chicken dish smothered in thick, spice-infused mole sauce. Mole’s diversity of ingredients symbolizes life and remembrance.
Tamales
Made from masa dough with savory or sweet fillings and steamed in corn husks or banana leaves. Making tamales is communal, so they represent family and community bonding.
Alfeñique
These figures shaped from sugar paste or amaranth seed dough depict skulls, skeletons, or popular Day of the Dead motifs. They decorate altars.
Candied pumpkin
Pumpkin that is preserved by being cooked in sugar syrup. Represents the harvest and the deceased’s favorite treats.
Where can you buy sugar skulls?
In Mexico, sugar skulls can be purchased from:
– Local candy stores and confectioners, especially in areas known for Day of the Dead festivities.
– Mercados (markets) and tianguis (street markets), which have expanded selections around late October leading up to the holiday.
– Specialty craft stores and decorators selling polished, decorated skull creations.
– Bakers stocking up on pan de muerto and sugar skulls ahead of time.
– Vendors at cemeteries during the observances who sell skulls and other offerings to leave on graves.
– Family workshops, cooperatives, and small businesses that make high volumes of skulls.
Outside of Mexico, sugar skulls are available seasonally at:
– Mexican bakeries, specialty food stores, and supermarkets in Hispanic communities.
– Pop-up ofrenda installations, Día de los Muerto exhibits or events.
– Fair trade and world culture shops.
– Online through Mexican food sites and Etsy artisans.
For those who want to make their own, specialty baking stores sell sugar skull molds and meringue powder around the fall months.
Why are sugar skulls part of American Halloween?
The growing Mexican-American population plus appreciation for Mexican culture has influenced some adoption of Day of the Dead symbols, like sugar skulls, into US Halloween celebrations:
– In the Southwest US, in particular, Día de los Muertos and Halloween mix together with shared macabre themes. Events blend customs from both fall holidays.
– Retail Halloween merchandise has expanded to include sugar skull designs on top of the traditional Halloween motifs. Their bright, colorful styling appeals to party-goers.
– Young people embracing their Latin heritage and influential media like Disney’s Coco film generate interest in sugar skulls.
– Sugar skulls offer a way to add colorful desserts and decorate Halloween parties beyond typical pumpkin or ghost fare.
– Appreciation for Mexican food, including specialty baked goods like conchas and pan dulce, also spreads acceptance of sugar skulls in the US.
– The playful, vibrant aesthetic of decorated sugar skulls fits right in with modern Halloween’s emphasis on costumes, sweets, and community celebrations.
Conclusion
On the Day of the Dead, sugar skulls carry deep cultural and spiritual symbolism as representations of deceased loved ones and as edible offerings for their returning souls. Eating a sugar skull enables the living to share in honoring and commemorating the dead. The candy skulls also reflect the celebrations of family, community, and remembrance around the holiday. Their distinctive decorations and sweetness make sugar skulls a memorable part of the customary tastes, crafts, and rituals that honor the spirits each year. Outside of their traditional context in Mexico, sugar skulls still maintain appeal through their beautiful designs and sense of subversive fun in modern Halloween party settings. As an iconic Día de los Muertos folk art and food, sugar skulls remind us that death has its own sweetness.