BREAD SALES HEAT UP FOR HOLIDAY.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

NEWHALL - At first, Juan Bernabe wondered if the sweet, round rolls of his homeland would raise any interest.

He baked 300 of them when he opened Jazmin's Bakery about three years ago on San Fernando Road in Newhall, and sold them all.

On Friday, he estimated he would bake thousands of the rolls, known in Mexico as pan de muerto, or dead bread. That's proof enough that the Dia de Los Muertos traditions are alive and well in Santa Clarita, he said.

``It's very beautiful in Mexico,'' Bernabe said of the tradition in his homeland. ``In some parts, there is a special flower that you see all over. In other parts they have different ways.'' The tradition of Dia de los Muertos, believed to have begun in pre-Columbian Mexico, is based on the belief that the souls of dead relatives return each year to visit and be entertained by their living relatives. Each year on Nov. 2, altars are erected in homes and at cemeteries, decorated with foods and items once enjoyed by the deceased. Gold marigolds, symbols of the departed, line walkways and encircle the offerings. Dia de los Muertos is said to be one of the most photographed events in the world.

Although the holiday may seem macabre to some, with its traditions of sugar skulls and paintings of dancing skeletons decked out in costumes, in Mexico it is a joyous time for many. And an altar to a loved one isn't quite complete without a pan de muerto, said customer and Newhall resident Ausencio Mendoza.

``The dead come to us once a year and each one gets a roll,'' he said. ``The bread represents their soul. And we put out flowers and fruits and tamales and mole. If the person loved to drink, there will be a bottle of tequila or a beer.''

Mendoza, who left Mexico in 1976, said the traditions in the United States are scaled down compared with those in his hometown near Iguala, Guerrero.

``In our town, we invite people inside the homes to see the ofrendas (offerings),'' he said. ``Here, we rent in an apartment, so we don't have much space. It won't be the same, but I'll put up an ofrenda and we will have bread.''

Bernabe, who opened Jazmin's Bakery in the heart of the emerging Old Town Newhall, said his business has flourished.

When he came to the United States, he spent two decades baking doughnuts and pastries for other businesses.

He opened his own business on the Fourth of July in 2001.

``I just started experimenting with what I knew and people really liked it,'' he said of his baked goods.

However, he has learned to plan ahead, and has his ovens ready for another upcoming holiday: Dia de Los Reyes, or Three Kings Day, on Jan. 6. That holiday too, requires a lot of breads.

``Last year, I did not have enough ovens,'' he said. ``This year, I am ready.''

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) The holiday bread at Jazmin's Bakery in Old Town Newhall can contain surprises such as tiny plastic skeletons.

(2) Jessica Ayala presents the Newhall bakery's specialty bread, created for the Mexican holiday on Nov. 2.

David Crane/Staff Photographer