The Meaning Behind the Lent Mexican Dessert Capirotada

In the Catholic community, Lent is celebrated every year for forty days and begins on Ash Wednesday. Catholics are considered Christians because they are believers and followers of Jesus Christ. One of the most popular desserts baked during Lent and Good Friday is a Mexican dessert called Capitorida. One of LATV’s new shows, “Cultura Shock” (coming April 12th) includes a baking segment with steps that take you through how to bake Capitorida in your home. The ingredients for Capirotada symbolize the crucifixion of Jesus.

Some of the ingredients that are used to bake Capirotada are bolillo or toasted bread which symbolize Jesus’s body, water boiled with piloncillo known as spiced syrup represents Jesus’s blood, the cinnamon sticks represent the wooden cross, and the cloves represent the nails on the cross.  

The last week of Lent is known as Holy Week, and each story is written in the Bible. Holy Thursday, known as the Last Supper, is when Jesus sat down with his twelve disciples who believed he was the son of God. During the Last Supper, Jesus broke bread known as “his body” and took a cup known as “his blood” to share with his disciples. During mass in a Catholic church, a priest will recite the words Jesus said in the Last Supper while breaking bread and pouring wine to give to members of the church.

Good Friday is the day Christians remember Jesus wearing a crown of thrones holding a cross, wearing only a white linen cloth. He was hung on a cross with nails because many denied he was the son of God. Jesus’ death on the cross symbolizes every sin has been forgiven. For Christians on Good Friday music, social media, regular gatherings and events are avoided to respect the day of Jesus’s death. A film called, “The Passion of Christ” is based on the events written in the Bible. 

For Christians, Easter is more than rabbits and eggs hunts. Christians celebrate Easter because of the story of the Sunday after the crucifiction, when Mary and Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. When they uncovered the tomb, an angel appeared to tell them Jesus had risen from the dead. When they left the tomb to tell his disciples about Jesus; Jesus had appeared to them and later appeared to his disciples on a mountain in Galilee. When Jesus appeared, there were holes on the palm of his hands from the nails. The message of Easter is that if Jesus can overcome death, he can overcome anything. Those who believe can become a “new creation” and let go of their old ways. There is also life after death to look forward to, which is Heaven.