El Dia de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is but one part of the Mexican creolization of the Great All Souls and All Saints Triduum that we know as Halloween. Halloween, or all Hallow’s Eve, marks the beginning of the Feasts of all Saints and all Souls and dates back centuries in Europe. It was modeled by The Church on the Celtic “Samhain,” an important Harvest Celebration and one that cites the “Darkening Days” of Fall into Winter. The “Halloween” traditions that were brought to Mexico by the Spaniards, were folded into existing Aztec celebrations that honored death, the Fall Harvest and the New Year. The Spaniards encountered a tradition that goes back as far as the pre-Colombian era, and, is more recently deeply rooted in Aztec religion. “The goddess Mictecacihuatl (Lady of the Dead) presided over Aztec harvest rituals using fires and incense, costumes of animal skins, images of their dead and offerings of ceramics, personal goods, flowers and foods, drink and flowers.”Day of the Dead History and Traditions, Flor Hernandez – PVNN BanderasNews.com.
The modern version of the Mexican “Halloween” Triduum is comprised of Día de los Inocentes (‘Day of the Innocents’) or Día de los Angelitos (‘Day of the Little Angels’) on November 1 and November 2 as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos (‘Day of the Dead’). According to Frances Ann Day, author of “Latina and Latino Voices in Literature”,”On October 31, All Hallows Eve, the children make a children’s altar to invite the angelitos (spirits of dead children) to come back for a visit. November 1 is All Saints Day, and the adult spirits will come to visit. November 2 is All Souls Day, when families go to the cemetery to decorate the graves and tombs of their relatives. The three-day fiesta filled with marigolds, the flowers of the dead; muertos (the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations.”
Families create beautiful ofrendas or small altars that include photos of the dearly departed. Offerings of food, drink and flowers, gifts are placed upon the ofrendas to feed and satisfy the needs of the dead. Flowers, such as chrysanthemums and marigolds are also believed to attract the souls of the dead to the altars.
There are special recipes made every year for the Day of the Dead. Here are a few:
Day of the Dead Bread by Check T.
Meaning & Best Recipe for Day of the Dead Bread BY MARCELA HEDE / This bread goes way back to the times of human sacrifices when the Mayans used to offer the beating heart of women to the gods to go in a pot with Amaranto, an Andean cereal rich in nutrients. The Spaniards horrified by this tradition created a heart made of wheat and sugar, which was painted with red simulating the blood. Others believe the bread tradition came from the foods the dead were buried with, which was a common practice in Mesoamerica. Books on Mexican traditions talk about a bread made with crushed and toasted amaranth seeds, mixed with the blood of the sacrificed in honor to Izcoxauhqui, Cuetzaltzin or Huehuetéotl. Pan de muerto is essential when celebrating “El Día de los Muertos” simply because it carries tradition and it is the bread Mexicans share with families at the table. Other foods we use “El Día de los Muertos” are “el mole negro,” los dulces Oaxaqueños like pumpkin preserve, “las manzanitas de tejocote,” along with chocolate. We also use seasonal fruits to decorate the altares. Meaning and Classification of Pan de Muerto The bread evolved to take the shape we enjoy today. The circle on the top is the cranium that has bones underneath, and the flavor is sweet in honor of the memory of the deceased. There are breads that represent the human figure and others that represent animals like birds, rabbits, butterflies, etc. which are more commun in Tepoztlán, Mixquic and Iguala de Telolapan. Some pan de muerto represent trees, flowers and vegetables, while others represent magical beings.
I included this delicious and relatively easy Day of the Dead bread recipe for you to try. It yields 2 loaves, and takes 20 minutes of Prep Time and 25 minutes to Cook. Enjoy!
1 package granulated yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
6 eggs 6 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar 200 grams butter
1/4 cup orange blossom water
2 teaspoons cinnamon Icing and sprinkles
Preparation Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
Mix in 1/2 cup flour. Leave mixture in a warm place until it doubles in size. Sift together salt, sugar, cinnamon and flour. Add the remaining ingredients, but only half the butter. Add the yeast dough and mix until it forms thick dough but not hard. Tip: Make sure dough doesn’t stick to the table before placing it in a large greased bowl. Cover it. Let dough rise until it doubles in size. Pound it again, and add the rest of the butter.
Divide the dough into three equal parts. Use two for the loaves and one to decorate the loaves. Let loaves double in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned. Sprinkle with sugar while warm. After the loaves have cooled, decorate with icing and other pastry confections to create skulls, bones or names of the deceased.
Day of the Dead bread is one important tradition that joins our families in love and appreciation for the ones gone. I love making or simply buying a Day of the Dead bread to share with our family, children learn our Hispanic culture by practicing our traditions.
Day of the Dead Decor for Your Table Once you make your pan de muerto think about decorating your table to set the mood. Here are some ideas: Use special napkins that represent the holiday, they are inexpensive and decorate well the table. Use candles around the house. Could be in the center of the table or in places where they can be a focal point. Spread small figurines and skeletons in the center of the table surrounding the candles. Use Day of the Dead ceramic tiles as coasters. They are so unique and your guests will appreciate them. And, from Mademan.com, here are some additional recipes: Make these easy day of the dead recipes for the November 2nd celebration. Day of the Dead is a celebration of those who have passed away. But instead of day of the dead being morbid and sad it is a joyful celebration of life with a spooky twist.
These Day of the Dead recipes will add to the celebration.
Calabaza en Tacha Ingredients: 1 4 to 5 lb pumpkin 8 cinnamon sticks 1 orange 4 cups water 2 lbs raw sugar Cut pumpkin into pieces about three inches square. Scrape out the seeds and the stringy insides. Use a knife to make a grid pattern on the pumpkin flesh. In a pan combine the sugar, cinnamon, juice from the orange, and water. Heat to boiling and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Put pumpkin in the pan with the pulp side down. Put another layer into the pan with the skin side down. Make as many layers as needed. Cover the pan with the lid. Cook at a simmer until the pumpkin is tender. Let the pumpkin cool. Serve with the syrup that was made in the pan..
Atole Ingredients: 1/2 cup masa flour 5 cups milk 1/4 cup grated Mexican sugar cones 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Put the milk a large pan. Pour the flour into the pan a little at a time, whisking as you pour. Turn the heat to medium. Stir continuously until thickened. Add the sugar and cinnamon. Mix together. Add the vanilla. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Turn the heat up to a boil. Stir continuously. Take off the heat. Serve hot.
Arroz con Leche (Rice with Milk) Ingredients: 2 cups of water 7 cups of milk 2 cinnamon sticks 2 cups of sugar 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 peel of lemon 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Rinse the rice in a colander under running water, until the water runs clear. Put the rice in a pan with 4 cups of water. Boil for seven minutes. Add the milk, cinnamon and lemon peel. Boil for 10 minutes over medium heat. Remove the cinnamon sticks and lemon peel. Cook for an additional six minutes, stirring often. Add sugar and cook for another half hour. Stir the salt into the mixture. Take it off the heat after two minutes. Pour the rice into a bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Let chill in the refrigerator.
Corn Pancakes (Cachapas) Ingredients: 4 cups of corn 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 to 3/4 cup of milk 1/2 cup of sugar 1 egg Blend all ingredients in a blender. Make pancakes five inches in diameter. Cook on a hot griddle until golden on both sides. Serve hot. Read more: http://www.mademan.com/mm/5-easy-day-dead-recipes.html#ixzz3HOwP7ahh It’s hard to find decorations here, but some are available at Michael’s. I was able to find statutettes, gummy skulls and some other interesting things…….
