The usual Day of the Dead symbol represented by masks and sugar candies is the skull, or calavera.
Calavera is the Spanish word for “skull,” and in this celebration it can mean a human-skull image, a skeleton figure, or an edible skull made from sugar, chocolate, or other materials. Sugar skulls are often brightly decorated and may carry a person’s name across the forehead.
The skull is not used only as a frightening emblem. Day of the Dead traditions present death with humor, color, affection, and familiarity. Calaveras can honor deceased relatives, serve as altar offerings, or be exchanged as seasonal gifts. Their cheerful decoration reflects the belief that remembrance keeps relationships between the living and dead active.
A related term is calaca, usually meaning a skeleton. Modern face painting inspired by skull imagery is extremely popular, but it is not the same thing as the older calavera tradition. José Guadalupe Posada’s satirical skeleton art, especially La Calavera Catrina, helped make elegant skeleton imagery a major Mexican cultural symbol.