It is not true that we live,
it is not true that we endure
on earth.
I must leave the beautiful flowers,
I must go in search for the mysterious realm!
Yet for a brief moment,
Let us make the fine songs ours.-- Aztec poem, anonymous, from Chloe Sayer's The Mexican Day of the Dead
In many ways, this ancient Aztec poem sums up feelings about death that we see celebrated in the modern Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Unlike many of us today, the Aztecs had a familiar relationship with death, as is evidenced the intermingling images of life and death (skulls and skeletons, human hearts and flowers) in their sculpture. They viewed life as a mere pause before each person encountered death, the gateway to a new existence and a great journey. Death was a part of life; one flowed from the other.
According to Chloe Sayer, author of The Skeleton at the Feast and The Mexican Day of the Dead, the conquest of what is now Mexico by the Spanish in the early sixteenth century fused the Aztec idea that life is but a momentary dream and the medieval European notion of death as the great equalizer, stripping the vanities and pretensions of rich and poor alike. We see the results of this union in the humorous, affectionate, ironic images of death displayed during Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations.
During the Day of the Dead, tempted by parties and feasts laid in their honor, the dead return to Earth to share in the lives of the living. In the weeks preceding the holiday, which is marked on November 1 and 2 (All Souls Day and All Saints Day), Mexican markets and shops overflow with special skeleton-shaped candies, treats and decorations. Sugar skulls and cut paper skeletons grin from every corner, as do skeleton statues made of wire and clay, depicting humorous death scenes from all walks of life: politicians and priests, saints and sinners. These items are used to create altars to the dead in Mexican homes. The altars range from the simple to ornate and are covered with ofrendas, offerings: of religious images, candles, pictures of the deceased, seasonal fruits, the favorite foods of dead relatives (anything from molé to Coca-Cola) and the aforementioned sugar skulls and flowers.
The Aztecs believed that strong scents could lure the dead back to the land of the living, so flowers are an integral part of the celebration. Marigolds, considered to be the flower preferred by the deceased, adorn the ofrendas, and their petals are strewn from the road into the house and straight up to the altar, lest the dead become confused and lose their way home. The flower was an Aztec symbol of life, sexuality and abstract beauty, and its prevalence in the celebration of Day of the Dead further underscores the Mexican view of the interconnectedness of life and death. Papier-mâché skulls painted with vines and blooms and sugar skulls adorned with flowers of frosting are commonly found on Day of the Dead ofrendas.
On the actual days of the celebration, many Mexican families journey to the cemetery to picnic and socialize among their beloved dead. Tombs are cleaned, repaired and repainted, candles are lit and a feast is laid out directly on the graves. The families hold an all-night vigil, singing, eating and socializing by candlelight with the living and the dead. For this reason, the holiday may also appeal to many pagans who would prefer to commune with their deceased loved ones than mourn them.
Pan de muertos is traditionally served throughout the cemetery feasts and left with the ofrendas for the dead. It is a sweet bread that is sometimes baked with sugary sprinkles on top, and other times slathered with a powdered sugar glaze. A batch is either baked in small rounds or formed into a single flat "base" round with a portion of the dough shaped like a skull and crossbones and placed on top. American friends for whom I have made pan de muertos also enjoy it with "Mexican" chocolate butter. The chocolate butter is not traditional, but it's darn good.
1/2 cup warm (not hot) water
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
5 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon aniseed, finely ground
2 tablespoons orange extract
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Egg Glaze
1 egg, beaten
Sugar sprinkles
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in water. Whisk in 1 tablespoon sugar. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel, and set it in a warm place until the mixture is frothy and you are certain the yeast is active, usually 15 minutes or so.
Remove the plastic wrap from the bowl, and beat the eggs, butter, aniseed, orange extract and orange zest into the yeast mixture. When the mixture is smooth, add 3/4 cup sugar and salt. Beat until smooth. Add flour one cup at a time, and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you may need slightly more or slightly less than the 4 cups of flour).
Place the dough on a floured board and knead for five minutes. Place in a large, greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel, and allow the dough to rise until doubled, one to two hours.
Divide the dough in two. If desired, shape each half into skull and crossbones, a flat round with a skull or just a round loaf. Place halves on separate greased baking sheets, cover and allow to rise for another 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush each loaf with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar sprinkles. The egg can make the color leach from the sprinkles; to avoid this, you can use clear sprinkles or skip the egg and gently push the sprinkles into the dough to make sure they stick. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Keep an eye on the loaves for the last few minutes, as they tend to brown quickly. Slice and serve as is or with chocolate butter, following.
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut in chunks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
In medium pan, dissolve cocoa in water over low heat. Whisk in sugar until it dissolves. Remove from heat and whisk in butter chunks until melted and blended. Whisk in vanilla and cinnamon. Pour into heat-resistant bowl and chill in refrigerator until set.