Calaveras/Sugar Skulls Honor the Departed
Tara A. Spears
Day of the Dead is an interesting Mexican holiday celebrated during the days of November 1 and 2. Although this celebration coincides with the Catholic holiday called All Soul’s and All Saint’s Day, it has a different objective. This tradition has roots in the Mayan, Aztec and Toltec traditions for celebration on this date. When the European missionaries came to Mexico they introduced the Catholic religious practices but the indigenous people combined the new with their own ancient beliefs resulting in Dia de los Muertos.
Mexicans believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children (angelitos) are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them. Spanish calaveras are actually a representation of a human skull. This term is most commonly used to describe edible or decorative skulls made by hand from sugar or clay, and they are used in the Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos. The decorated sugar skulls are an amazing example of Mexican folk art.
Sugar art was brought to the New World by Italian missionaries in the 17th century. The first Church mention of sugar art was from Palermo at Easter time when little sugar lambs and angels were made to adorn the side altars in the Catholic Church.
During colonial period, Mexico was abundant in sugar production but the majority of the population was too poor to buy fancy imported European church decorations. The faithful quickly learned from the friars how to make sugar art for their religious festivals. Sugar skulls represented a departed soul, had the name written on the forehead and was placed on the home alter/ofrenda or gravestone to honor the return of a particular spirit.
The unique sugar skull art reflects the geographic area of its creator. However, regardless of location all sugar skulls style of big happy smiles, colorful icing and sparkly tin and glittery adornments. Sugar skulls are labor intensive and made in very small batches in the homes of sugar skull makers. These wonderful artisans are disappearing as fabricated and imported candy skulls take their place.
For centuries, Day of the Dead was a very expensive holiday for these self-sufficient, rural based, indigenous families. Many spend over two month’s income to honor their dead relatives. They believe that happy spirits will provide protection, good luck and wisdom to their families. As with many holiday customs, making the ofrenda keeps the family close and is passed down from generation to generation. As a reflection of the 21st century lifestyle, the big box stores sell the components and even completed sugar skulls. The popularity of the Mexican calavera symbol spread to other areas of culture including fashion and tattoo art. Presently you can purchase decorated skulls on Amazon, etsy, and in Walmart.
Chocolate sugar skulls are hand molded and decorated to be sold by the thousands at the Sugar Skull Fair. Candy makers work for 4-6 months to have enough merchandise for the sale. Sugar skulls are sometimes eaten, but their main function is to adorn the altars and tombs with a sugary delight for the visiting spirits.
Today, Day of the Dead is celebrated worldwide because it’s a holiday one can personalize and integrate into their own religious and cultural beliefs. More significantly the sugar skull/ calavera de azucar has become an important cultural icon symbolic with the tenacious spirit of Mexico.
