The Mija Chronicles

Mexican food and culture, on both sides of the border

Day of the Dead sugar skulls in Toluca

by

Sugar skulls at the Feria de Alfeñique in Toluca, Estado de Mexico

I’m loving this time of year. Here I was, thinking the city went crazy for El Dieciséis, but Day of the Dead is so much more colorful, and soulful. Brightly colored sheets of papel picado hang in store windows. Velvety, crimson terciopelo flowers sit in vases at restaurants. Orange marigolds, the traditional Day of the Dead flower (called cempasúchil in Spanish) have suddenly bloomed in the street medians.

Some stores have even set up altars, which look like a series of steps draped in white cloth, and then covered in oranges, bananas, and bread. Yesterday I saw one at El Tizoncito, the tacos al pastor place.

I even got into the mood and created a small altar in our house. I draped a white crocheted doily on our buffet, and placed candles, cempasúchil in old jam jars, and photos of my grandparents, great-grandparents and my stepdad, who died when I was in high school. I’ve also got a tiny sugar skull wearing a wide-brimmed catrina hat, which I bought at the Feria de Alfeñique in Toluca. This is my first altar ever, by the way. I didn’t celebrate Dia de los Muertos growing up.

You absolutely have to go to the Toluca sugar skull fair, if you live anywhere close in Mexico or if you’re traveling during this time of year. They’ve got chocolate skulls. Sugar skulls. Skulls in cowboy hats. They’ve got all the traditional Mexican sweets, which I’ll write about in another post, because they’re just too detailed to try to cover here. I ate so much sugar — and a taco de quelites, to balance it all out — that I had a stomach ache on the car ride home.

Here are a few photos. If you’re interested in going, the fair is located just off the colonial square, about two blocks from the church.

Chocolate skulls with cotton "hair" at the Feria de Alfeñique in Toluca, Estado de Mexico

Skulls at the sugar skull market in Toluca, also known as the Feria de Alfeñique

Sugar skulls, ready to be personalized with a name, at the Feria de Alfeñique in Toluca

These skulls are ready to be personalized -- it's a custom to write a friend's name on the skulls' forehead.

Sugar skulls, made by a pair of brothers from Metepec, a city east of Toluca

Cowboy sugar skulls at the Feria de Alfeñique in Toluca, Estado de Mexico

Chocolate skulls at the Feria de Alfeñique in Toluca, Mexico

Oficios are traditional during Day of the Dead -- they're skeletons arranged in funny scenes that depict everyday life.

These are called oficios -- they're traditional during Day of the Dead, and the skeletons are always posed in funny scenes that depict everyday life.

Alfeñique piggies, or piggies made out of sugar, at the Feria de Alfeñique in Toluca, Mexico

A traditional style of alfeñique, or animal-shaped candy molded from sugar.

An ofrenda, or traditional Day of the Dead altar, located a few blocks from the Feria de Alfeñique in Toluca, Mexico

A traditional Day of the Dead ofrenda, or altar

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I have yet to see a sugar skull in Yahualica. This is such a big holiday that I figured that there would be tons of sugar skulls. The only ones I have seen, were a gift from one of my students who bought them in Guadalajara. Atleast they are tons of altars.

    I really liked the “oficios”. The “teibolera” one is hilarious!

  2. The pictures are amazing. They make our little Halloween treats look so much less creative! I know when I was living in France, or visiting friends during holiday seasons, I loved how the culinary traditions reflected the culture, even by region. Great stuff.

  3. Hello,

    I saw this article on Dia de Los Muertos and didn’t know if you would be interested in a mini-documentary we’ve made about it. I work at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, the advertising agency for British Airways that made the film. Please feel free to feature it if you find it interesting and let us know your thoughts!

    Thanks,
    JoJo

    URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F75QEltLrAQ

    Embed [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F75QEltLrAQ&hl=en&fs=1&]

  4. It was nice to see how other people celebrate Halloween from the other side of the world. I love how colorful and festive you celebrate it despite how other people got used to it with red, black and white for Halloween. =)

    • Hi Dawn: Yeah, I think some Americans might be creeped out (or other Westerners; not sure where you’re from), but it actually makes total sense here. This is supposed to be a sign of friendliness — you give a skull to a friend with his/her name on it, you laugh together, and they eat it. The whole idea is to make fun of death, in a way. It’s a uniquely Mexican part of the holiday. I love it.

  14. are all these things made from sugar???? increadible!!!! well, maybe it is not very good for your teeth. lol! but it tastes I think.

  15. Incredible ! Its amazing (to me) how some people fear the dead yet some people celebrate the dead. Thanks for the beautiful pictures.

  18. Those images are fantastic! I love all of the Dia de Los Muertos paraphenalia but those skulls are just wonderful! I can think of only one place in London where you can get hold of day of the dead artworks and that the House of Guadaloupe in Camden, but I’ve never seen anything as brilliant as the sugarcraft you have here!

  19. We lived in Toluca for 10 years and the seasonal “Dia de los Muertos” market is in the “Los Portales” (The Arches) section of downtown Toluca is always a crazy, colorful and fun cultural adventure.

    [Here is a link to a Google map with notes of the area: http://tinyurl.com/metepec-toluca-tacos%5D

    If you’re in central Mexico, Toluca is just 45 minutes to the west of Mexico City. The 4 to 6 lane highway between the two cities passes thru a beautiful wooded national park that is 12,000 feet above sea-level and winds back down into the valley of Toluca (the first day we arrived there in 1996, everything was covered in snow). It’s not the desert-and-cactus or beach resort Mexico most people envision when they think of the country.

    One MUST EXPERIENCE suggestion is Metepec. It’s an artisan town just 10 minutes east of Toluca toward Mexico City. The home of Mexico’s “Arbol de Vida” (Tree of Life) clay sculptures, it is chocked full of authentic Mexican arts and craft. HOWEVER… the greatest secret held by this typical “pueblo” is Doña Paz’s “tacos dorados ahogados” (fried drowned tacos). Doña Paz’s tacos are – in the opinion of dozens of well-traveled foodies and knowledgeable locals – the BEST IN THE WORLD. No exaggeration whatsoever.

    I’ve even made a Google map to show you where it is:
    http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112669799163177840040.00000111c318e7fc4337c&t=h&z=17
    (shortened link: http://tinyurl.com/metepec-toluca-tacos)

    Doña Paz’s place is a room of her house, and the hours of service and manner of ordering and eating the tacos is as distinct as her unimagineably fabulous tacos, so make sure you read and note the instructions I left on the left-side column of the Google map (link again: http://tinyurl.com/metepec-toluca-tacos)

    • Wow! Thanks so much for your detailed info. I checked out the Google map and it looks really helpful. The tacos dorados ahogadas (my stomach tingles just typing it) sound decadent and amazing. I must try, next time I’m there. Thanks again for commenting!

  20. Your photos are great! I really enjoyed your site, wish I had more time to explore the archives. I’m a newbie, just trying to learn the ropes. I’ll be back. BTW I know enough Spanish to know that Mija is an endearment for daughter (mi hija). I have been trying to learn Spanish since I was very young. I read it fairly successfully, but am still uncomfortable trying to converse in the language.

    • Thanks! And welcome. I’ve been trying to learn Spanish since I was young, too, and feel really blessed that we’ve had this opportunity to live in a Spanish-speaking country. I think it’s pretty much the only way to become comfortable with talking, because you’re forced to speak, or else no one will understand you. (I don’t know how many times I’ve said here, “I’m sorry, I’m a foreigner and still learning Spanish. Can you repeat that?”) Good luck on your quest!

  23. Wow! I am 47 years of age and I am am so amaezed of these products you were publishing in the blog.. How I wish I could vicit the place and witnessed it live..thank you.. and more power!

  24. Gorgeous. I live in Texas and am slowly trying to weave some Day of the Dead style and Mexican warmth into my home. I love it!

  27. I absolutely love your pics! I lived in Mexico for many years and I loved this holiday. I do wish we could embrace a tradition like El Dia De Los Muertos one here in America.

  29. wow!!! very beautiful video in comments and wonderful colorful pictures besides the name!!! my boyfriend from Mexico told me about this day, but here i saw that it’s a wonderful tradition to rememer people who left this world!! Once upon a time i dream to see it with my eyes!!

  30. Wow, I’m Mexican and I didn’t even know about the Feria de Alfeñique! Now I totally want to go, thanks for sharing these beautiful scenes 🙂

  31. Yum. I bet they taste as good as they look, so colorful. My dad is an expat in Mexico but he spends most of his time golfing and releasing baby sea turtles into the ocean. Visually stunning blog!

    • Jan: Different towns in Mexico celebrate it on different days. I’m in Malinalco right now, a little town a few hours from Mexico City, and most families visited the cemetery today, Nov. 2. In Patzcuaro, the celebration also happens on Nov. 2. It really depends on where you are. It can be either Nov. 1 or Nov. 2. Hope that helps!

  35. i love all of the colors and the excitement dia de los muertos exudes! those personalized skulls are amazing!

    i am also from texas (pasadena) and i am a proud mexican, but i now show my pride in los angeles. : )

    love your blog and so happy i discovered it on the wordpress home page.

  36. I love sugar skulls. But have you ever tried to eat one? I did a few years back, and it didn’t go so well…

    Great post, great pictures. Hope you got to hit up some cemeteries.