Funeral Food: Mexican

Mexican funerals may include treasured foods, such as mole and tamales, but it is the annual commemoration of those who have died that is best known. In Mexico Dias de las Muertos (Days of the Dead) is a week-long community event leading up to All Souls Day on 2 November. Because the dead are often returned to Mexico for burial, it is a much smaller observance in the United States. In communities with small or developing Mexican communities, Day of the Dead may be noted only as a folk festival. The traditional bread, pan de muertos, can be found in cities with large enough Mexican populations to support traditional bakeries. Lightly sweet and covered with sugar, the bread is made in various shapes, including bodies decorated with lumps of dough that represent the skeleton and round shapes that represent the soul.