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How did Mexican calaveras appear in both sweets and popular prints?

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rooster weather vane — Folk art Rooster weather vane, sheet and wrought iron, American, 19th century; in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. 73.6 × 166.4 × 4.5 cm.

In Mexican visual culture, calaveras (skulls or skeletons) serve as powerful symbols of mortality and national identity, appearing prominently in both popular prints and traditional sweets.

Popular Prints

The tradition of the calavera in print was largely established by the Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada. Working between 1890 and 1913, Posada created numerous animated skeleton illustrations for broadsides—single-sheet publications used to disseminate news and social commentary. These figures, which depicted individuals from all social classes, served as a form of macabre egalitarianism, reminding viewers that death is the great equalizer. His most famous creation, La Calavera Catrina, was originally a satirical image mocking those who rejected their Indigenous heritage for European fashions.12

Sweets and Observances

In the context of Día de Muertos, calaveras appear as edible offerings on ofrendas (altars). These include sugar cookies shaped like skulls and ornately decorated skulls molded from sugar paste, which are often inscribed with the names of the deceased. These sweets provide symbolic sustenance for spirits returning to the world of the living, while also being enjoyed by the living as part of the holiday's festive traditions.34