Día de Muertos / Day of the Dead Sugar Skull makeup
Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead as English calls it is a Mexican holiday and celebration. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Altars to remember the dead are created and traditional foods are made and shared. The celebration is 3 days and takes place starting at midnight October 31, November 1 and November 2. One of the most important symbols is the calaveras makeup meaning skulls.
“Calaveras de azúcar” or what English call ‘Sugar skulls’ are actually ornate and brightly decorated sweet candies or chocolates made from molds that are usually seen smiling or laughing. Sugar skulls are given as gifts to eat for the living and placed lovingly on the altar for the dead as an offering.
Type Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead or sugar skulls in to any search engine and you’ll find all kinds of interesting information about this fascinating, beautiful and touching tradition.
I painted myself up as “Calaveras de azúcar” in honor of my mother this particular year.
The ancient Aztecs attributed certain colors to specific meanings. For instance, pink represents celebration, white stands for purity, black for the land of the dead, red for the sacrifice of blood and purple for mourning. The most traditional flower is the marigold. It was known to the Aztecs as “cempasuchil” meaning “flower of 400 lives”.
Enjoy the tutorial.
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