Day of the Dead is here again with colorful papel picado, emblematic altars dedicated to ancestors, as well as pan de muerto, or bread of the dead.
The elaboration of this delicacy has a meaningful symbolism and stories vary from region to region, but the one preserved over time reads that the bread represents a corpse with the ball that crowns it being the skull while the side parts are the bones falling in the 4 directions of the world.
There are many types of bread in Mexico, some are sprinkled with sugar or sesame seeds, some are painted red or given an oval shape, and some others hold a dedicatory. You can now find them filled with pastry cream, milk cream or Nutella. No matter the origin or shape, the fact is that this day is long celebrated in this country with the festive spirit of its people while sipping steaming chocolate and sharing a slice –or two– of pan de muerto.
Let’s celebrate Mexican traditions!