Italian Day of the Dead

Italian Day of the Dead

No, it’s not a horror movie and it’s not even the Sicilian version of Halloween.  November 2^nd is the celebration honoring departed ancestors and relatives.  Sicilians call it Jornu Di Li Morti.  Until 1943 Sicilian children used to place a wicker basket under their beds or their shoes on the windowsills in the hope that their deceased loved ones would bring them toys and sweets. The children would reciprocate the gifts that they’d found in the morning by visiting the graves of their relatives.

In Sicily like many other holidays special cakes are made in symbolic shapes to the Day of the Dead. Almond paste shapes made into shapes, almond cookies, and coca based cookies or sugar mold puppets of boiled sugar can be found in local panificio or pasticceria.

Fancy sugar boiled sugar molded desserts

Plain , Pastachi, and Nutella flavored cookies only made during Day of the Dead.