Jimenez Bakery takes pride in preparing pan for Dia de Los Muertos

Pan del muerto is a common item found on many ofrendas - the food and mementos set out on the altars during Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). This is an observance that allows those living, from any culture, to pay homage to the dead.







The observance began as a ritual that the Aztecs and other Meso-American indigenous people practiced over 3,000 years ago. The Spaniards considered the ritual to be sacrilegious. To make the ritual more Christian, the Spaniards moved it so it coincided with All Saints' Day on November 1st, and All Souls' Day on November 2nd.







Today it is recognized by many as a Mexican tradition combining the native Aztec and Roman Catholic practices and beliefs, and still observed by Mexicans and many in the United States.







As Luis Ramiro Jimenez, of Lubbock, intricately shapes dough to form small caricatures that look like people for the observance, he remembers his father - Lucio Cruz Jimenez, a panadero who made pan de dulce - Mexican pastries.







“Mi apa nos enseñó a mi hermano y yo cómo hacer el pan Mexicano,” says Jimenez who is one of the two members of his family that took on the skill as a Mexican baker.







He continues discussing how his father was dedicated to making the Mexican pastries and used that skill as a means to make a living, and as a way to teach his 12 children to sustain themselves and their Mexican culture.







“La cultura es importante para toda la gente (Culture is important for all people).  No deben olvidarse de sus raíces (They should not forget their roots),” ...