Día de los Muertos Candy: The Meaning of Sugar Skulls and Sweets on the Ofrenda

Every year on November 1 and 2, families across Mexico and the US set up ofrendas, home altars covered in marigolds, candles, photographs, and food, to welcome back the spirits of loved ones who have died. Sweets are everywhere on these altars. Bright sugar skulls with names written across the forehead, candied pumpkin, cocadas, chocolate, and the favorite candies of the person being remembered.

In this guide we explain what Día de los Muertos is, why candy plays such a big role in it, and what the traditional sweets on an ofrenda mean.

What Is Día de los Muertos?

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of family members and friends who have passed away. It is not a sad holiday. The belief behind it is that the spirits of the dead return to visit the living for a short time each year, and families prepare to welcome them home with the things they loved in life: their favorite foods, drinks, music, and stories.

The celebration takes place over two days:

• November 1 honors children who have died. It is often called Día de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels).
• November 2 honors adults.

The tradition blends Indigenous Mexican customs for honoring the dead with the Catholic feasts of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, which fall on the same dates. In 2008, UNESCO added it to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Is Día de los Muertos the Same as Halloween?

No. The two fall close together and both use skulls and skeletons, but they mean very different things. Halloween plays with fear. Día de los Muertos is about remembrance and love. The skulls are not meant to be scary. They are a reminder that death is a natural part of life, and they are often decorated in bright, cheerful colors.

The Ofrenda: An Altar Built With Love

The heart of the celebration is the ofrenda, an altar set up at home or at the grave. Every family's altar is different, but most include:

• Photos of the loved ones being honored.
• Cempasúchil (Mexican marigolds), whose bright orange color and scent are said to guide the spirits home.
• Candles to light the way.
• Papel picado, colorful cut paper banners.
• Pan de muerto, a sweet bread made especially for the season.
• Their favorite food, drinks, and candy, so the visit feels like coming home.
• Sugar skulls, often with the person's name written on the forehead.

Sweets show up again and again because they are an act of love. Offering someone their favorite treat is a way of saying they are still remembered and still welcome.

Calaveritas de Azúcar: The Meaning of Sugar Skulls

The most famous Día de los Muertos sweet is the calaverita de azúcar, or sugar skull.

Where Sugar Skulls Come From

Long before the Spanish arrived, Indigenous peoples in Mexico honored the dead with offerings made from amaranth seed and agave syrup. After the conquest, sugarcane replaced agave, and Spanish missionaries tied the old offerings to Catholic feast days.

Sugar skulls are made with a technique called alfeñique, a sugar paste that came to Spain from the Arab world and then to Mexico in colonial times. The paste is made from powdered sugar and egg whites, pressed into molds, and decorated by hand with colored icing, flowers, and foil. Because sugar was expensive in colonial Mexico, a carefully made sugar figure was itself a meaningful offering.

Today the city of Toluca, in the State of Mexico, is famous for the craft. Every year from mid-October to early November it holds the Feria del Alfeñique, where artisans sell sugar skulls, chocolate skulls, and sugar figures of every shape.

Why Names Are Written on Sugar Skulls

Many sugar skulls have a space on the forehead for a name. On the ofrenda, the skull carries the name of the person being remembered. Sugar skulls are also given as gifts to living friends, family, and coworkers, with their names written on top. It is an affectionate, playful reminder that we are all part of the same cycle of life.

Are Sugar Skulls Meant to Be Eaten?

Traditional alfeñique sugar skulls are mostly made for decoration and for the altar, not for snacking. They are dense, very sweet, and often finished with decorations like foil that are not meant to be eaten. Families usually display them on the ofrenda and around the home through the season. Small chocolate skulls are the version more often eaten.

Other Traditional Sweets on the Ofrenda

Sugar skulls are only the start. Depending on the region, families fill their altars with many other traditional dulces:

• Calabaza en tacha: pumpkin slowly cooked in piloncillo (raw cane sugar) and cinnamon. Pumpkins are harvested in October, just in time for the season.
• Alegrías and amaranth skulls: sweets made from popped amaranth and honey, a link to the pre-Hispanic offerings that came before sugar.
• Fruta cristalizada: candied fruits like sweet potato, fig, and pumpkin.
• Chocolate: cacao has been part of Mexican offerings for centuries. Many families place a cup of hot chocolate, often made with Abuelita Mexican hot chocolate, on the altar or serve it with pan de muerto.
• Coconut and milk candies: classic dulces tradicionales like cocadas and jamoncillo, a milk fudge.
• Seed and nut brittles: palanquetas made with peanuts, sesame, pecans, or mixed seeds.

Their Favorite Candy

Just as important as the traditional sweets are the candies the person actually loved. If a grandfather always had Mazapan in his pocket, or a tía never went anywhere without Pulparindo, those belong on the altar too. The ofrenda is personal, and the favorite candy of the person you are honoring often means more than anything else on the table.

How to Add Sweets to Your Own Ofrenda

1. Start with the person. Think about the treats they loved, from candy and pan dulce to a favorite drink.
2. Add sugar skulls. Write the name of each person you are honoring on the forehead of a calaverita.
3. Include traditional dulces. Cocadas, jamoncillo, palanquetas, and calabaza en tacha all have a place on the altar.
4. Set out something warm. A cup of hot chocolate or café de olla next to pan de muerto is a classic offering.
5. Share afterward. In many homes, the food on the ofrenda is shared with family and friends after the celebration, keeping the memory going.

Where to Find Día de los Muertos Candy

We carry handmade sugar skulls along with traditional dulces like cocadas, jamoncillo, palanquetas, and Mazapan, plus Abuelita chocolate and café de olla for the altar. You can browse all of our Mexican candy online, or visit our store in El Paso at 3465 Lee Blvd, Suite 251. Día de los Muertos is November 1 and 2, so order early to have everything in time for your ofrenda.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Día de los Muertos?

Día de los Muertos is celebrated on November 1 and 2. November 1 honors children who have died, and November 2 honors adults.

What candy is used for Día de los Muertos?

The best known is the calaverita de azúcar, or sugar skull. Ofrendas also often hold calabaza en tacha, alegrías made from amaranth, candied fruit, chocolate, cocadas, jamoncillo, and the favorite candies of the person being honored.

What do sugar skulls mean?

Sugar skulls represent the loved ones being remembered. They are decorated in bright colors and often have a name written on the forehead. They are a cheerful reminder that death is a natural part of life, not something to fear.

Are sugar skulls meant to be eaten?

Traditional alfeñique sugar skulls are mostly made for decoration and for the altar, not for snacking. Small chocolate skulls are the version more often eaten.

Why do people put candy on the ofrenda?

Families place sweets and favorite foods on the ofrenda to welcome the spirits of their loved ones home. Offering someone their favorite treat is a way of showing they are still remembered and loved.

Is Día de los Muertos the same as Halloween?

No. Halloween plays with fear, while Día de los Muertos is a celebration of remembrance and love for family and friends who have died.