Mexico City (AP) – marigolds? Look. Candles? Look. And of course, sugar skulls – the final touch on altars that honor deceased loved ones during Mexico’s time of the dead.
Like the tradition of “Pan de Muerto,” these colorful treats known as “Calaveritas” (or small skulls) They capture how Mexicans remember their good submission and celebrate each November.
“Very few customers bought them to eat,” said Adrián Chavarría, in his own family and sold Caraveritas from the market of the city of Mexico. “Many people get them to decorate their altars.”
After a tradition centered on pre-Hispanic beliefs related to agriculture, many think that their loved ones return home to spend the night on November 2.
To welcome them, families set up altars at home. Candles are lit in the hope of illuminating its paths and favorite dishes are prepared for the occasion.
“I put beer, coke, cigarettes – just a little bit happened,” said Margarita Sánchez, who spent a recent October evening shopping for Caraveritas and other items for her altar. “That way, anyone who comes can help themselves.”
Her entire family participates in organizing the offerings, but her daughters lead the way, finding creative ways to surprise their relatives on New Year’s Eve.
“This is how we honor our loved ones who left earlier than we could have hoped,” said Sánchez. “We do this to remember them.”
A delicious tradition with ancient roots
Caraveritas are greatly expanded with sugar, chocolate or amaranth. However, each state of Mexico has its own diversity. Ingredients such as almonds, nuts, pumpkin seeds and honey can also be added.
According to the Mexican Department of Agriculture and the Department of Rural Development, Calaveritas’ origins come from ancient Mesoamerican cultures.
The Aztecs used to make Amaranth Mains mixed with honey as offerings to their gods. Sugar was introduced in the 16th century with the arrival of the Spaniards, who brought a new process to pottery – a practice that eventually led to the burning of colored sugar made today.
However, the pre-Hispanic offerings, however, are not the same as the altars used these days during the Day of the Dead.
“These offerings were not homemade structures,” said historian Jestús López del Río recently, who recently led a tour of human sacrifices to the gods of Mesoamerica. “They were given more business than this human being and they had food, blood, animals, songs, prayers and other things.”
The Caraveritas are the heirs of the family
Chavarría sells a variety of sweets in his shop, but most come from outside suppliers. His sugar skulls are the only homemade products.
“I feel very proud and excited to carry on this legacy,” she said. “When we meet the altar that carries our calaveritas, it fills us with pride.”
The composition of his products was his mother. But then his grandfather launched the business in 1941. “Besides being part of our menu, Caraveritas are an artisan candy,” she said.
Everything is done by hand. The process is so fast that production starts in April, sales kick in mid-September and in late October his products are sold out.
He cannot specify how many calaveritas are produced per year, but his shop offers 12 different sizes and they produce different boxes around each size. Packages containing the smallest sugar skulls can hold up to 600 pieces, while those that hold the largest can hold around 300.
Prices are cheap – ranging from 3 to 400 pesos ($0.17 to $20) – but days are needed to finish each piece. According to his son Emmanuel, who will inherit the business, the process is difficult and interesting.
“When your hands are hot from handling sugar molds, you feel satisfied,” she said. “It’s fulfilling because, apart from your creation, it’s part of your family’s legacy.”
The process begins by adding sugar to hot water and lemon juice is added to prevent the mixture from sticking. As soon as it boils, the mixture is poured into a ceramic mold, where it stays for a few minutes before the skulls are removed to cool. About five days later, each Calaverita is hand-painted.
Beyond the day of the dead, Emmanuel feels close to his departed relatives every day he makes caraveritas and sells them in his family store.
“This is how we remember them,” she said. “For each artist, their memory exists.”
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