‘Pan de Muertos’ is one of the holiday’s hallmark foods that visually represent the Day of the Dead’s celebration and honor of passed ancestors. The Mexican sweet bread varies in appearance due to the differing Mexican states. Additionally, it is a tradition to offer this sweet, among other foods, to the ‘ofrenda,’ or altar. The food symbolizes the holiday’s history and the importance of celebrating life and honoring death as an extension of life.
Continue reading to learn about the importance of Pan de Muertos.
Origins
The Spanish conquest of 500 years ago influenced change in the celebration of Day of The Dead, specifically its bread. According to Origin Mexico, a website promoting and preserving Mexican artistry, the Spanish had previously rejected pre-Spanish ceremonies and traditions.
The Spanish also introduced wheat to the indigenous people, changing how the holiday was celebrated. Origin Mexico states, “they made a heart-shaped wheat loaf dipped in sugar painted red, simulating blood.” They continue, “it symbolizes the cycle of life and death due to its circular shape.” The creation of Pan de Muertos brought both cultures together, but its importance of celebrating the deceased was kept intact. While the meaning of the holiday is represented in its specialized bread, it can still carry a deeper meaning.
The Importance & Meaning
Death in Mexican culture is often considered an extension of life and the holiday and its bread preserves and celebrates life itself. Better Homes & Gardens, the fourth most circulated magazine in the United States, gives their own interpretation of the sweet bread. The magazine states “Pan de Muerto is a perfect reminder that life is sweet and meant to be shared,” making the holiday more sentimental.
The altar and offerings of bread and food spiritually connect the living with the dead. Pan de Muerto, visually represents the circle of life and visualizes the souls of the dead. Wide Open Country, a lifestyle website, provides further explanation of differing interpretations based on the design of the sweet bread. They state, “The classic round loaf shape has a round dough ball symbolizing the skull of the deceased.” They continue, “Another piece of dough across the bread symbolizes their bones and tears.” Although the sweet bread carries different interpretations based on the variation, it still holds the cycle of life and ancestors in high regard. The meaning of life is universal with the sweet bread, but the bread itself has various variations.
The Variations
The bread can come in different shapes and sizes depending on the various Mexican states and ingredients, but they all represent the holiday equally. For example, The New York Times, a daily news site, explains, “Oaxacan bread contains ‘caritas,’ (little faces).” They continue, “sometimes representing the visage of an angel or the Virgin Mary.”
Other variations can include “pink or red sugar on top symbolizing blood from the originating custom.” Origin Mexico adds that places like Guerrero create bread “in the form of animals, people, plants or fantastic beings.” Pan de Muerto and its ingredients and shapes are deliberate to reflect the celebration of life and death. Moreover, the sweet bread has become synonymous with the celebration and can be a reminder to cherish and share life with loved ones.
Feliz Dia De Muertos
Day of the Dead reminds people to celebrate life and death as a “cycle of life” through the sweetness of Pan de Muerto. The dessert best symbolizes the holiday through its various renditions and differing meanings behind specific variations. Ultimately, the celebration and honor of ancestors remain the same and are held in high regard with the importance of Pan de Muerto.
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