Celebrating the dead, Puente style At Puente, preparing for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is anything but macabre. At a joyful workshop in early October, women’s hands (and a few men’s) reach into mixing bowls filled with a gooey blend of water, powdered sugar and meringue. Fingers push the sweet paste into molds the shape of skulls, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. The faux skulls are the centerpiece of a Día de los Muertos tradition that has been rooted in Mexico for centuries. Puente’s adult community looks forward to the holiday festivities all year. The sugar skulls are decorated with faux gems and paint, flowers and feathers. They will adorn a community altar, which will be displayed on November 1 at the final Pescadero Grown! Farmers’ Market of the season. The Día de los Muertos program, run by Youth Program Associate Alejandra Ortega and part of the larger Madres Project funded through the Bella Vista Foundation, also involves making hundreds of beautiful paper flowers and artisanal Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead). Día de los Muertos is a deeply personal ritual, and often an occasion to memorialize a loved one. “I am dedicating this sugar skull to my parents and one of my brothers who died,” said Irma, a workshop participant … Continue reading Día de los Muertos connects living to those who have died