TasteTO.com: Food of the Dead
The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos is a celebration of both life and death. Occurring on November 1st and 2nd, the event, also known as All Soul's Day is celebrated primarily in Mexico and by families of Latin-American descent. The festival has taken place every year for centuries and dates back to Meso-American times.
On the Day of the Dead, families flock to graveyards to celebrate the lives of their deceased, bringing with them the favourite things of their dead relatives, from music to clothing and especially their favourite foods.
Most people know skulls to be associated with the Day of the Dead, and edible skulls can be found at all celebrations. The celebratory treats are made from chocolate, sugar, and even amaranth, a grain that grows in Mexico and that when moulded creates a treat similar to Rice Krispie squares.
Here in Toronto, while our Mexican community is quite small, we have a really wonderful Day of the Dead celebration that takes place every year at Harbourfront Centre. While events are scheduled for the weekend following the official Day of the Dead (events take place November 7th and 8th this year), there is still much to see, do and eat.
Besides a variety of vendors selling sugar and chocolate skulls, Mexican crafts and various treats, the weekend will feature demonstrations on making pan de muerto and mole, as well as El Cilantro Catering and Rebozos serving up tacos, tamales and more.
The weekend long celebration also features music and dance performances, films, craft demonstrations and storytelling focusing on Mexican mythology for kids.
The Day of the Dead celebration takes place Saturday November 7th and Sunday November 8th at Harbourfront Centre. Admission is free. For more information and details on specific programming, please visit the website.
For more images of the Day of the Dead event at Harbourfront Centre, please check out my posts from 2007 at Save Your Fork and Leaves and Petals.
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