With the end of October and the beginning of November, two historically celebrated holidays come to pass. Each holiday has been celebrated for centuries, and each one continues to have a large impact on society. Interestingly, they developed in two separate civilizations from different hemispheres and occur around the same time. The two distinct holidays of Halloween and Day of the Dead both share similar origins and a focus on spiritual aspects and yet have still remained unique celebrations that continue to largely impact culture.
ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN
Halloween is believed to have been developed over two thousand years ago, before even the birth of Jesus. It originated from the Celtic people native to Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, and
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In total, it is a three-day celebration starting on October thirty-first and reaches to November second. Celebrating death and honoring the dead are its focal points. It is believed that during this time, the spirits of those who have died return to their earthly homes, where they are made welcome with gifts, flowers, and food (“Mexico” 218-226). In Mexico, festivals to honor the dead have been celebrated for hundreds of years, beginning in the fifteenth century when the Aztec controlled the region. These early festivals were meant to honor the Aztec god of death and were held during harvest time (“Halloween and Festivals of the Dead” 195-209). The Aztec also honored their dead during the month-long harvest celebration. As a part of these celebrations, many prisoners of war were sacrificed to the Aztec sun and war god, Huitzilopochtli (“Mexico” …show more content…
Each holiday serves to strengthen pride in their own histories and cultures. As people continue these celebrations, they are reminded of who they are, where they came from, and their society’s beliefs and values. Along with this, cultural awareness is also promoted. People from countries all around the world are beginning to celebrate Halloween, and more and more are becoming increasingly aware of Day of the Dead.
A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
Not many consider death and the fear it conjures something to celebrate, but the sole purpose of El Dia de Los Muertos and Halloween is to cheerfully confront these themes. One might view a skull or skeleton as a symbol of death, but for many Latin Americans, these things are looked upon in a positive light. They exhibit a unique stance concerning the dead, and death in general, by facing these things with fun and humor instead of horror and fear (Halloween and Festivals of the Dead” 195-209). Likewise, the Ancient Celtic viewed death and darkness much differently than many modern societies. The Celtic tradition believed that darkness could bring forth life just as much as it could bring evil and death. In celebrating Samhain, people were comforted by the thought that their souls could never truly be gone (Trevarthen 6). During Samhain,
In digging the day of the dead a distinction between Dia de los Muertos and Halloween is made, the purpose, to highlight the differences and showing the importance and significance of Dia de los Muertos. This ethnography begins by loosely describing Halloween in American culture, it is described as a day where “children dress up as grotesque corpses” and a celebration empty of historic or cultural significance and knowledge. The author Juanita Garciagodoy, later goes on to describe Dia de los Muertos in a romanticized way, by statin that the dead “are not forgotten or excluded from recollections, prayer, or holidays because they are no longer visible” Garciagodoy then goes on to tell a heartfelt story about a couple one holding on to tradition,
In the Hispanic culture, The Day of the Dead is a very special holiday celebrated in Hispanic communities. The Day of The Dead is a celebration that last two days. It occurs on November 1 and 2. On November 1, they have a celebration for the young. On November 2, they give honor to family members who have passed away. Traditionally they set up alters in their homes with pictures, candles, foods, and many other decorations. They believe this holiday connects them to their dead ancestors and allows the spirits to be welcomed back. It is one of the biggest celebrations in Hispanic communities and is a very meaningful celebration. One of the specific holidays that is celebrated in the US is called Martian Luther King Jr. Day. This day is in honor of Martian Luther King Jr. and his fight for civil rights. His actions have had a huge impact on America and has become a role model for not only African Americans, but for everyone. He died for fighting for what was right and is honored on this day only in America. Both the Hispanic and US cultures have their own specific holidays only celebrated in these
A long time ago more than 500 years ago, there were Spanish Conquistadors who had landed in what is now referred to as central Mexico. Once here they stumbled upon populations of natives who were performing a customary celebration that appeared to simulate death. Dia de los Muertos initiated periods in the past in Mexico, where it is still commonly celebrated to this generation. This festival that takes place over 3 days is a assortment of pre-Hispanic ethnic views and Spanish Catholic philosophies. The Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, proceeds over the initial 2 days in the month of November. Its beginnings are a concoction of Native American behaviors and a set of Catholic celebrations. The celebration concentrates
Halloween is originated from Ireland, and Day of the Dead was started in Mexico. During Halloween, people usually have various types of candies. Kinds of candies include chocolate, caramels, sugar candies, gummy candies, and much more. On Day of the Dead, Calaveras and pan de los muertos is served, along with many other candies in shapes of coffins, skulls, and skeletons. The symbol for Halloween is the classic jack o’ lantern. Back in the Middle Ages, ritual harvest festival in Welsh, Irish and Gaelic cultures. They were used to guide trick or treaters through the night and keep way evil spirits. Not all the jack o’ lanterns were pumpkins. Some were made out of radishes or squash. The symbol Day of the Dead is the classic skull or skeleton. If you went to a Day of the Dead celebration, you would see happy skeletons on display practically everywhere across city streets. Another important symbol of the Day of the dead is the marigold flower. It is said that the flower draws back to souls of the dead and leads item to the homes of their families. Believe it or not, Halloween is a holiday that is nearly 1300 years old, and it originates from Welsh and Gaelic cultures. It was a holiday evolved from the Samhain, an ancient Celtic holiday. This was a time where the harvests were collected for the winter, and it was believed that since winter was approaching, it would allow the souls of the dead to breach tohe world of the living.
Foreigners have more trouble understanding Dia de Los Muertos than any of Mexico's other celebrations. At first glance, they see Day of the Dead decorations which are colored paper garlands, little skeletons performing daily tasks and sugar skulls inscribed with names, which remind them of Halloween. Other tourists discover that much like Memorial or Remembrance Day in the US, families here visit, clean and decorate graves of loved ones for the November 1 and 2 holidays. Many families honor their ancestors and dead with different traditions, which I will be telling u about.
Different cultures have different holiday traditions. At this time of year different cultures are preparing to celebrate Halloween or the Día de los Muertos.These two holidays occur around the same time of year. October 31st is Halloween and the Day of the Dead begins on November 1st and ends on November 2nd. Halloween is an American tradition and the Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico, and other Latin American countries. Both holidays share some similarities but also have some differences.Some common themes between the two holidays are food and religion. For example, Pumpkin is associated with both holidays. And Christianity is the religion associated with both holidays. The symbols for these holidays share some similarities , for example skulls. While Halloween also is associated with ghosts and witches. A big
El Dia de los Muertos was brought to the United States when Mexican-Americans underwent a cultural reawakening in the early 1970s. The holiday's popularity has since spread to other races and cultures. The Day of the Dead celebrates life past and present, and not just death alone. Revelers construct ofrendas, the offerings of food, drinks, cigarettes, toys, and candy, set out for returning souls. Revelers take joy in honoring the dead, usually with music, dancing, crafts and food.
...parts of the celebration, October 31st, November 1st, and finally November 2nd. On October 31st, it is seen that the kid’s souls return. November 1st is considered the adult’s day of returning, and November 2nd is when all souls have returned from the dead and there is a big celebration. People of Mexico celebrate by making many baked goods and cooking meals, making objects such as masks and decorating papers and toy coffins to prepare for the return of the souls.
Mexicans and Venezuelans celebrate Halloween very differently; to the extent, some Venezuelans do not even celebrate the holiday. Mexicans celebrates Day of the Dead instead of Halloween. During Day of the Dead, Mexicans build altars and fill it with desserts, tamales and candy for their passed loved ones, and decorate and clean their graves. These altars are made specifically as a welcoming to the loved ones who passed away. People are sometimes welcomed to visit other’s families’ altars and take part in any of the goodies or stories involved. Some Pueblos or communities, they gathered food from different altars and enjoy the food at their loved one’s grave. Day of the Dead is much similar to Halloween, but contain much more meaning and spirit. We celebrate this holiday to remember our loved ones; not in a weeping sense, more over into a joyous sense. We only talk about the good and special times we had with that individual. People tell each other’s stories and thoughts of the dead to let them know we still remember their presence. On the other hand, in some communities in Venezuelans celebrate Halloween exactly how Americans do, but...
To conclude, The Day of The Dead and Halloween may seem very similar but are actually very different from each other as you can now tell from the food, how it’s celebrated and how skeletons are
In the Hispanic culture such as Guatemala and Mexico, the Dia de Los Mortos is celebrate on November 1st and 2nd. Families’ getter to go to the cemeteries together; they clean the graveyard and bring flowers to their loved ones. They also decorate skulls with the name of the departed written on the forehead. Many
Despite different customs and traditions throughout the world, one of the oldest holidays, Halloween, is still celebrated all over the globe today (Halloween around the World). Halloween is known for being “a time of celebration and superstition” for all who celebrate it (History of Halloween). The Celtic people, who lived in what we know as Ireland began the tradition of Halloween nearly 2,000 years ago. The idea of Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celtic new year occurred on November 1st, marking “the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter” (History of Halloween).
There are several traditions that Americans take part in before actual Halloween day comes on October 31st. Most families today decorate their houses inside and out for Halloween, some more in depth than others. Many people will put out fall decorations including pumpkins, gourds, hay bales, and Indian corn. Some Americans go all out with the typical fall decorations, but also add in some Halloween symbols. Common Halloween symbols that
Halloween is a holiday where people dress up in costumes, have parties, and go trick-or-treating. This holiday is celebrated on the 31st of October. This date was chosen because people thought that ghosts came back to Earth on this day. The people would put out nuts and fruit to please the ghosts, if the ghosts weren’t pleased they would kill the people that didn’t please them. A quote to show this is,”On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to Earth.”
The Chinese New Year is fifteen days long and each day involves a different custom based off of a different ideology such as cleaning your house will wipe away the bad luck of the preceding year. Halloween although originating in Ireland, was carried to other countries and is now often seen as an equivalent to the popular Day of the Dead Celebration in Mexico. Although, Day of the Dead is about celebrating dead loved ones, the act of dressing up in costumes happens in both celebrations. Halloween follows the ideology that children dress up in costumes and go collect candy from people’s houses whereas day of the dead is centered around the ideology that for one night dead loved ones can be reunited with their families. Easter and the popular Jewish holiday Passover are often seen as the same thing because they fall around the same thing and both celebrate spring. All around the world countries celebrate independence days that are on different days but they all represent relatively the same thing. But, different countries hold different ideologies for their independence days. For