Day of the Dead on the Web - Party Ideas, Sugar Skull Recipes, E-cards, Pictures

MAIN Holidays Dias de los Muertos - Days of the Dead

Day of the Dead! In this festive celebration - which survives from the early days of pre-Christian Mexico - everyone is encouraged to laugh at the inevitable.

The Day of the Dead, or All Souls Day, not only honors the dearly departed, but makes light of death with spirited resurrections of ancient customs each year from November 1 - 2.

One particular tradition that lives on is a recipe for sugar skulls, which are brightly decorated and served up by Day of the Dead devotees and party hosts with ghoulish glee.

Check out traditions old and new online - as Dia de los Muertos comes alive and kicking into the Internet Age - with outstanding photo galleries, folk art exhibits, e-cards, video clips, history, craft ideas, recipes and trivia...

also see --> Halloween

azcentral.com | Day of the Dead - Dia de los Muertos - No bones about it, the best resource on the topic with hours of online fun featuring how-to videos, crafts, history and traditions, a terrific sampling of e-cards, recipes, random trivia, a photo gallery and student-teacher resources.

Making Sugar Skulls for Day of the Dead - The complete recipe including step-by-step instructions, photos, tips & advice.

Mexican Sugar Skulls - Simple recipe for hand molding and decorating, with ingredient list, photos and instructions

Food for the Ancestors - The late, great, but still-archived PBS special with a good history of the observance including a folk art gallery, information and photos on the current festival, video clips, and recipes for pozole, (pigs head and corn grits) salsa borracha (drunken sauce) and salsa de gusanos de maguey (worm sauce).

Mexican Day of the Dead - Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead central, including an extensive cache of articles and photo essays on the altar to the dead, candlelight vigils, gravesite ceremonies, folk art, activities and traditions, related links.

Hallows Day - Image intensive, but definitely worth the wait for a tour of its Aztec beginnings, capturing the mystery and mayhem of the Day of the Dead festival and the tales and legends surrounding it. In English and En Español.

MEXonline: Day of the Dead Holiday - A good overview heading into feature stories chronicling the history and traditions of Dia de los Muertos, where to find the best locations for authentic ceremonies, a special report from Oaxaca, and related links.

Days of the Dead - A personal reminiscence of the celebration with photos and a complete recipe for Pan de Muerto, the traditional "Bread of the Dead."

Day of the Dead - A scholarly intro to the festivities with photos and information on its origins in pre-Christian Mexico leading up to the modern celebration, focusing on various traditions and observances in Northern and Southern Mexico.

Through the Eyes of the Soul - The um, "official" Day of the Dead Web site features an extensive photo gallery, sample recipes, poems and background info - but be prepared to dig up what is, essentially, a commercial showcase for books written on the subject.

Sugar Skulls Recipe

2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg white
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon. vanilla
1/3 cup cornstarch
food coloring
small paintbrush

1. In a small bowl, mix the egg white, corn syrup and vanilla.
2. Slowly stir in powdered sugar until a thick paste forms.
3. Turn out onto a board lightly dusted with cornstarch.
4. Knead dough until smooth.
5. Place dough in storage bag or covered bowl and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
6. Pinch off pieces of dough and form into skulls. Let dry completely before decorating.
7. Decorate with food coloring, colored sprinkles or cake icing from a tube.

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