Calaveritas, an essential part of the Day of the Dead menu

Skull candies made of sugar and chocolate are a staple of Day of the Dead celebrations and, in 2022, will play a significant role in the celebrations themselves.

Calaveritas, an essential part of the Day of the Dead menu
One of the most important parts of a Day of the Dead offering is called calaveritas. Credit: Agricultura

Putting together an offering for Day of the Dead 2022 is not easy, so some families have already started buying the things they need to put it together and welcome the faithful dead.

Although the offering has many representative elements, one of the most important, besides the cempasúchil flower, are the calaveritas, as they are a way to remember the dead, as well as the destiny we will share someday.

The calaveritas are a big source of income for many merchants in Mexico. They are also an important part of the offering for Day of the Dead 2022.

Merchants produce up to 25,000 calaveritas a year.

Although many merchants produce a variety of traditional sweets throughout the year, Day of the Dead 2022 is one of their busiest seasons, with traditional calaveritas accounting for 80% of their total profits.

The merchants have assured us that they produce around 25 thousand calaveritas a year, as there are some customers who order between 5 thousand and 10 thousand pieces of these famous candies.

Calaveritas are distinctive candies from Mexico and its culture.

There are two main flavors of these candies. First there are the sugar skulls, which are the most traditional on this Day of the Dead 2022, and then there are the chocolate ones, which are the favorites of children and adults.

Calaveritas are distinctive Mexican sweets made possible by the vast amount of inputs provided by the country's fields, which include sugar cane, cocoa, and amaranth, among others.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader), Mexico obtained more than 55 million tons of sugar cane, a little more than 28 thousand tons of cocoa, and 6 thousand 177 tons of amaranth. Therefore, the calaveritas not only represent Mexican culture but also all the inputs available in the country.