"Within the
Western culture, skulls usually depict the dark, macabre and gruesome death.
However sugar skulls’ origin (or calaveras de azucar) springs from Mexico. Day
of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday, celebrated on the 1st
and 2nd November in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saint’s Day
and All Hollow’s Day. The festivities start at midnight on the 31st October.
Sugar skulls are often used to decorate the gravestones of the
deceased. The reason they are called “sugar skulls” is because the
authentic sugar skulls were made out of clay molded sugar, decorated with
feathers, colored beads, foils and icing. These sugar skulls are very colorful
and whimsical, not scary at all. The name of the deceased relative could be
written on the skull’s forehead and then put on the altar, accompanied
by marigolds (the marigold is perceived as the flower of the dead),
candles and maybe even the deceased’s favorite food and beverage in order to
encourage and guide him back to earth.
In terms of meaning, the skull symbolizes death but in a positive manner. In Mexico it is believed that death is not the final stage in one’s life but rather a step forward into a higher level of conscience. For the Aztecs skulls were a positive symbol, not only of death but also of rebirth.
Supposedly the symbolism of a sugar skull is rooted in the decoration around the eyes. Flowers are meant to symbolize life, while cob webs symbolize death. Burning candles set inside the eyes are a sign of remembrance. These items can also be used in combination to personalize the main focus of the skull as well.”
From which has
some interested answers:
http://tattoos.answers.com/history/an-inside-look-at-the-meanings-behind-sugar-skull-tattoos“The size of sugar skulls has an important meaning. Small skulls represent the souls of dead babies and children; large skulls represent deceased adults. If you have only one sugar skull tattoo, pick any size you wish. However, if you plan to have multiple skull tattoos, their size must reflect the relative ages of each person commemorated.”
Also found another interesting link:
http://www.celebrate-day-of-the-dead.com/sugar-skulls.htmlI couldn’t find any answers into what some of the symbols on the sugar skulls meant, apart from that marigolds represent life, webs represent death and writing on the forehead is the name of the deceased. I guess the added symbols represent the deceased life, and as I am definitely not deceased, I’ve decided I’ll design a sugar skull based on the 19 years I have lived.
