calavera
Festive Mexican skull
A calavera is a skull, from Spanish.
In Mexican culture, calaveras are decorative skulls—often made of sugar or clay—associated with Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations.
The term also refers to satirical poems written for the holiday, mock obituaries for living people that poke fun at death.
The altar was covered with marigolds and calaveras.
Artistic death reminder
- mortalityState of eventual death
- transienceBrevity of existence
- deathCessation of life
- remembranceAct of holding something in mind
legacy · afterlife · eternity · ancestors · soul · spirit · impermanence · vanitas
Head's bone casing
- craniumSkull bone structure
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- bonesRigid internal support structure
- mandibleLower facial bone
teeth · eye sockets · skeletal · human remains · forensic · osteology · death's head
Mexican holiday honoring the dead
- ofrendaMexican memorial altar
- altarSacred ritual table
- marigoldOrange-petaled garden annual
- copalFragrant tropical tree resin
ancestors · memorial · remembrance · All Souls' Day · candles · incense · rituals · face painting
Decorative confection honoring deceased
- fondantSmooth, moldable cake covering
- icingSweet cake covering
- royal icingMeringue powder-based cake coating
- moldingDecorative architectural edging
confectionery · edible · decorated · candy · marzipan · piping · cake decorating · sculpting
Carving into hard surfaces
- illustrationPicture explaining something
- muralWall-applied artwork
- printmakingProducing images through impression
- caricatureExaggerated comic depiction
satirical · broadside · woodcut · lithograph · political cartoon · folk art · painting · sculpture
Metered poetic passage
- satirical poemVerse ridiculing its subject
- epitaphText honoring the deceased
- humorAmusing quality
- witClever, inventive humor
social commentary · political satire · rhyme · tribute · lampoon · irony · newspaper · broadside
memento mori
Artistic death reminder
- mortalityState of eventual death
- transienceBrevity of existence
- deathCessation of life
remembrance · legacy · afterlife · eternity · ancestors · soul · spirit · impermanence · vanitas · finitude
skull
Head's bone casing
- craniumSkull bone structure
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- bonesRigid internal support structure
mandible · teeth · eye sockets · skeletal · human remains · forensic · osteology · death's head
Día de Muertos
Mexican holiday honoring the dead
copal · ancestors · memorial · remembrance · All Souls' Day · candles · incense · rituals · face painting · parade
sugar skull
Decorative confection honoring deceased
- fondantSmooth, moldable cake covering
- icingSweet cake covering
- royal icingMeringue powder-based cake coating
molding · confectionery · edible · decorated · candy · marzipan · piping · cake decorating · sculpting · silicone molds
engraving
Carving into hard surfaces
- illustrationPicture explaining something
- muralWall-applied artwork
- printmakingProducing images through impression
caricature · satirical · broadside · woodcut · lithograph · political cartoon · folk art · painting · sculpture · gallery
verse
Metered poetic passage
- satirical poemVerse ridiculing its subject
- epitaphText honoring the deceased
- humorAmusing quality
wit · social commentary · political satire · rhyme · tribute · lampoon · irony · newspaper · broadside · tradition
- Latin AmericaArgentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Cuba
- Latin American culturetango, samba, cumbia, mariachi, ceviche
- death symbolsskull, skeleton, coffin, tombstone, gravestone
- Dia de los Muertosofrenda, sugar skull, sugar skulls, marigolds, La Catrina
- Latino CultureHispanic Americans, Latino, Chicana, Mexican-American, Cuban Americans
- pan dulceconcha, conchas, calabaza, elote, paloma