SUGAR SKULLSThe Day of the Dead

(Día de Muertos)

Called "calaveras de azúcar" in Spanish, these sugary sweets are sold everywhere on the days and weeks leading up to Day of the Dead. Market stalls are lined with rows and rows of colorful skulls, created from sugar and decorated with multi-colored icing, shiny foil, sequins and glitter

SUGAR SKULLS FROM MEXICO

Sugar skulls are given as gifts to both the living and the dead, often with the name of the recipient written on the skull's forehead in icing.

When they are offered to the dead, they are placed lovingly on an altar for the deceased along with other ofrenda, such as the person's favorite foods and drinks.

Keeping with the true spirit of Day of the Dead, sugar skulls are not creepy or morbid. Instead, they are happy, vibrant candies that are often smiling or laughing. The bright colors and sparkly decorations on the sugar skulls are cheerful enough to clear away any fear or concern about what they stand for.