Dia de los Muertos

Day of the Dead Glossary

alfenique - Sugar paste used to fashion skulls, fruits and other figures.

angelitos - "Little angels," the souls of children who are remembered on the feast of All Saints' Day.

atole - A nourishing drink made from corn meal and water and flavored with fruits or chocolate.

calaca - The Grim Reaper, a dancing skeleton figure who represents death.

calavera - Skull or reveler.

calaveras - Songs, poems or satirical obituaries about the dead or Day of the Dead.

calaveritas de azúcar - Sugar skulls.

careta - A mask worn by dancers to scare the dead away at the end of the festivities.

Catrina - Created by José Guadalupe Posada, this calaca satirizes society.

cempazuchitl or zempasuciti - A brightly colored orange or yellow marigold, the traditional flower of the dead which symbolizes death.

cerveza - Beer

copalli - A Nahuatl word for resin. Used to make scented incense.

Dia de los Todos - November 1, All Saints' Day.

Dia de Difuntos - Another name for Dia de los Muertos.

dulce de calabaza - Candied pumpkin

enchiladas - A dish containing various fillings wrapped in or stacked between corn tortillas and covered with a sauce.

fieles difuntos - The "faithful dead," those who arrive faithfully to visit loved ones during the Days of the Dead.

Festival de los Fieles Difuntos - "Festival of the Deceased Faithful," another phrase for Los Días de los Muertos.

hojaldre - A sweet puff pastry made for the Festival of the Dead.

mole - A thick sauce for chicken or turkey made from a variety of ingredients including chiles, sesame seeds, herbs, spices, chocolate and fruit.

niños limbos - The "children in limbo," those children who died before baptism.

ofrenda - Offerings or gifts set out for the dead, also the actual altar.

pan de los muerto - "Bread of the Dead," sweet loaf in many shapes and sizes, one of the major ofrendas.

papel picado - Mexican folk art. Colorful and intricate paper cut-outs used as decoration in celebrations. Skeletons are usual for Los Días de los Muertos.

pulque - A fermented alcoholic drink made from the mezcal plant.

tamale - A dish in which various fillings, either sweet or savory, are enclosed in a masa mixture, wrapped in corn husks and then steamed.

tequila - A distilled alcoholic drink made from the mezcal plant.

Copyright © 2000-2001 Boise Matthews. All rights reserved. Graphics © 1999-2001 www.arttoday.com.