Defying death, they make fun of her by eating it. The phenomena is treated with respect and irony. José Luis Curiel Monteagudo, in his book Azucarados Afanes, Dulces y Panes, says, “To eat pan de muertos is for the Mexican a true pleasure, considering the cannibalism of bread and sugar. This is the origin of today’s pan de muertos, which has regional variants across Mexico. They forced the substitution of bread for the heart, shaped in the form of a corazón and painted in a glaze of red sugar. While families of Mexican and Central American Catholic background often built altars in their homes to honor their ancestors, the evolution of Día de los Muertos into a community event with social significance can be traced to the 1970s, when Chicano artists at a small East LA-based non-profit organization called Self Help Graphics began. The Spanish, of course, aimed to put a stop to this non-Christian behavior when they arrived to conquer Mexico at the beginning of the 16th century. They forced the substitution of bread for the heart, shaped in the form of a corazón and painted in a glaze of red sugar. Pan de muertos is one of the most important elements of an ofrenda, with a long history extending to prehispanic times.Īztecs, during their sacrifice rituals, would cut the still-beating heart from the chests of the sacrificed. It’s eaten by the living, as well as left as an offering on the altar for the returning dead.
This type of sweet bread is only sold in the weeks leading up to the Día de Muertos. Find & Download Free Graphic Resources for Dia De Los Muertos Altar.